


Always

by exonomics



Series: Produce 101 Hybrid AU [1]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cat/Human Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:59:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 91,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12691011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exonomics/pseuds/exonomics
Summary: Wanna-be actor Ong Seongwoo decides that the only way he's going to break into the mainstream is to win the public's heart with a charity project. He doesn't expect his charity project to win his.9/5/18: Thank you all so much for the 1k Kudos!9/9/18: Completed





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 of my P101 Hybrid AU.

 

 

The first two thoughts Seongwoo has in the morning: he really hopes he has asprin for this hangover, and he really, _really_ hopes Jisung wasn’t the cute brunette he took home last night.

He groans, rolling over and pulling his blanket over his head. “Go away,” he mumbles to his publicist, using what little brain power he has in this state to will Jisung away. Jisung is really the last person Seongwoo wants to wake up to in the morning.   

“Not a chance, Ong.” Jisung says, tugging at the blankets. “We’ve got work to do.”

Seongwoo pouts, even though Jisung can’t see. “But today’s my day off…” he groans into his pillow. He pulls the blankets tighter.

“Rising stars don’t get days off. Ass out of bed.”

He hears a second set of footsteps entering his room, which means Jonghyun is here too. “Seongwoo, I brought coffee!” Jonghyun chirps. His tone is too bright for Seongwoo to handle (as usual), but coffee on his empty stomach and pounding head at least entices him. So he humors his manager, slowly sitting up and hoping he doesn’t hurl all over Jisung - like the last time.

“You get coffee once you’re dressed,” Jisung hisses, smacking his head. Seongwoo groans as the smack echos in his brain, pounding along with his headache. He hears Jonghyun tell Jisung something about the coffee, but Jisung just clucks, “He’s a grown ass man who can put on pants and join us in the kitchen.”

Well then.

He sighs, but give Jonghyun a smile. “I’ll be right there,” he says, pleased that his words aren’t as slurred as he thought they’d be. The answer puts a smile on Jonghyun’s face as well, and he turns to head to the kitchen. Once he’s gone, Seongwoo swings his legs over the side of his bed and slowly rises. The room momentarily spins, but he’s able to keep his balance and find his way to his dresser to pull on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He nearly kills himself tripping over his discarded pants and underwear from last night on the floor, but seeing as he doesn’t fall or crack his head on anything, it’s a good start to the day.

Jisung is already typing away on his laptop when Seongwoo shuffles into the kitchen. “Alright team. What’s our plan of attack?” Seongwoo asks.

Jonghyun slides Seongwoo a cup of coffee once he sits down. “Tomorrow’s shoot will last two days. First the print shoot, then the commercial shoot. But after that-”

“You’re shit out of work, bud,” Jisung finishes.

Seongwoo takes a sip of coffee. “Isn’t that why I have the best management team at Fantagio?”

“The best management team at Fantagio is working overtime to try to find your ass a job,” Jisung replies. “Too many newbies trying to break into the market nowadays.”

It’s true. Since Seongwoo started modeling and doing some commercials three years ago, there’s been an influx of wanna be stars and models. It’s becoming a lot harder to get jobs when there’s kids who’ll work for near nothing. Seongwoo’s realizing he may be the right person for the job, but with a contract and agency behind him, he comes with a price tag. And since he’s not well known or has a large following, companies find it better to cast a cheaper no-name.

“I think we need to try a different approach,” Jonghyun says, face thoughtful. “Maybe instead of trying to get exposure through jobs, we try to get exposure some other way.”

“Hmm…” Jisung hums. “Other way…” He hands fly across his keyboard. “That could work. What did you have in mind?”

“Management has a few favors they owe me. I can see if I can get Seongwoo out with one of the higher ups.”

“If you can get me out with Cha Eunwoo I’ll double your salary,” Seongwoo mumbles into his coffee cup. Cha Eunwoo. _Yum._

“For fucks sake, Ong, we’re not discussing your next hook up,” Jisung growls. “Take this serio-” He pauses, looking up from the laptop. Seongwoo watches as his eyes go wide, and _here we go_ \- Jisung has an idea. _“Cha Eunwoo!”_

“We’re totally compatible, both easy on the eyes-”

“Ong shut up, I’m going to punch you in the face.” He turns to Jonghyun. “Remember when Eunwoo’s pictures from that kindergarten project he did trended? He got the Innisfree deal right after-”

“Which got him his break!” Jonghyun finishes, understanding where Jisung is going with this.

Seongwoo, however, is lost. He frowns. “Slower, my head’s still pounding.”

“You need to find a charity project to work with,” Jisung explains. “Something that will make the public's heart melt.”

Seongwoo frowns again. _“Charity ?”_

“Volunteer, like Eunwoo did,” Jonghyun says, deciding now’s a good time to find Seongwoo’s aspirin. He gets up from his seat. “Most actors donate money to charity, but…”

“I’m flat broke,” Seongwoo finishes. “Bathroom in the cabinet.” Jonghyun smiles and heads over. Seongwoo takes another sip of coffee. “You think volunteering will help me out?”

Jisung shrugs. “It’s worth a shot. If Eunwoo can get a fan following from doing babysitting, I’m sure we can find something that fans will notice. We just have to find something for you to do.”

“I mean, I used to do stuff with my Church back in the day-”

“No religion,” Jisung says quickly. “Too controversial.” His face disappears back behind his laptop screen. “And it should be recent.”

Jonghyun comes back with the aspirin bottle. “Start with hobbies. What do you like to do when you’re not modeling?”

“Cute boys with cute butts,” Jisung answers for him. He’s surprisingly quick to dodge the sugar packet Seongwoo chucks at his face.

He’s not wrong, though.

The words nor the action faze Jonghyun, which is a definite development from when Jonghyun first started working with Seongwoo. Seongwoo almost misses Jonghyun’s nervous laughter when Jisung and Seongwoo would argue, or occasionally throw things at each other. Or when Jisung would reveal in a bit too much detail Seongwoo’s personal life. But Jonghyun takes it in stride, ever the manager he is.

Though Seongwoo’s been in the media business longer than Jonghyun, he knows that Jonghyun’s exactly what he needs if he’s going to become a big shot. Everyone likes Jonghyun, and Jonghyun likes everyone - if someone were to get him the right roles, it would be him.

And Jisung….Jisung he’s known for years, since Seongwoo was a kid. They grew up neighbors, then classmates, then co-workers when Seognwoo hired Jisung as his publicist. Jisung’s always had a mouth on him, so Seongwoo could think of no one else but him to help schmooze manage his image as Seongwoo worked his way up the social ladder. And really, Seongwoo’s grateful for Jisung - without him, Seongwoo would definitely still be a nobody.

Well, more than he was now.

Seongwoo takes another gulp of coffee. “Speaking of which, you didn’t see anyone else when you got here, did you?”

Jisung rolls his eyes. “No, Ong. Your romp wasn’t here.”

“Shame. He was cute. And tall.” He wishes he could remember a name, but between the pounding music and alcohol from the club, he’s coming up short. An “H” is sticking out in his mind somewhere.

“Well, from now on, focus your energy on finding a good volunteer project that will get you fans. Not getting drunk off your ass,” Jisung says, finally closing his laptop screen. “I’ll see if there are any charity organizations that are looking for spokesmodels.”

“And I’ll see about getting you any gigs with Eunwoo. He may have some ideas,” Jonghyun adds.

Seongwoo sends him a gracious smile. “Please let his manager know I’m a big fan and would _love_ to work with him.”

Jisung throws the sugar packet at his face.

  
  


_________

  
  


“What do girls like?” Seongwoo asks to no one in particular from his makeup chair. He sighs, racking his brain for any ideas. It’s particularly difficult to do outside in the middle of a busy street, cars honking in the distance and production crew screaming directions to all of the models.

“Seongwoo, you need to kindly shut the fuck up so I can finish your mascara,” Minki hisses, tail coming to swat Seongwoo’s head. “And since when do you care what girls like, weren’t you just whining about Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?”

“Not for _me_ ,” Seongwoo explains, closing his eyes again. “It’s Jisung’s new master plan - find me some volunteer work that fans’ll notice. Hence, what do girls like.”   

Minki snorts. “Well, I’m no expert on girls,” he says, delicately putting on Seongwoo’s mascara. “But as far as I know, girls like hot guys.” He pauses to check his work. “And makeup.”

“If there was a charity that dealt with hot guys, you’d never see me here,” Seongwoo laughs. When Minki pulls back, he checks his reflection, pleased at his look for this shoot. He nearly sobbed in relief when Sungwoon, his stylist, gave him a pair of plain jeans and a rack of t-shirts to try on. Last photoshoot was for a high fashion brand, and Seongwoo somehow survived a ten pound feathered jacket and the tightest pants he’s ever worn in his life. He’s thankful his dick will be able to breath this time around.

Minki crouches next to him, nodding into the mirror. “Damn, I’m good,” he mumbles to himself, and it’s true. Minki’s a talented makeup artist, one of the best Seongwoo’s worked with. It surprised everyone at first when Minki was brought on, since not many major entertainment labels hired Cats. But as part of Fantagio’s “Inclusivity Within Music” initiative started last year, they started hiring Cats who had the right qualifications as part of their team. Minki was the first, followed by Sungwoon, and then a few other as part of the team.

Seongwoo never worked closely with Cats before. His family didn’t have one growing up, nor did any of his neighbors. They were a luxury only a few families in his rural hometown had. It really hadn’t been until he moved into Seoul that he came in contact with Cats. That had been years ago, and now working with Minki or seeing a group of Cats walking down the street doesn’t strike him.   

Seongwoo smiles at Minki. “If I could take you home every day to do my makeup, I would,” he jokes, running a hand through Minki’s hair.

Minki hisses, swatting his hand away. “Hands off. You know I don’t like petting.” His ears twitch in annoyance.

“What was that about taking Minki home?” Seongwoo turns to see Sungwoon walking in, hands full of sunglasses. 

Minki snorts as he gathers his makeup. “Seongwoo would be so lucky,” he sniffs, throwing his makeup bag under his arms.

“I’ll have you know, I’m considered a catch!” Seongwoo calls after Minki in an attempt to save whatever pride he has left.

Sungwoon laughs, motioning for Seongwoo to follow. “If it makes you feel better, I think you’re a catch.”

Seongwoo laughs back as they weave through the production crew to get to the shoot. “So Sungwoon, are you doing anything later tonight?” He lurches forward to lean on Sungwoon’s shoulder, puckering his lips.

“Actually,” Sungwoon says, perking up. “Taehyun and I are going to meet his family in Jeolla. And we’re going to visit the beach!” His tail is wagging as he speaks.

 _Owner_ really isn’t the right word when it comes to Taehyun - he and Sungwoon have been best friends since they were kids, and recently moved in together as roommates. Seongwoo remembers first meeting Taehyun and mistakenly told him it was “nice to meet Sungwoon’s owner.” Taehyun at least took it in stride, laughing it off while Sungwoon turned the darkest shade of red Seongwoo has ever seen on a person.  Er, Cat.

“I thought Cats didn’t like water,” Seongwoo jokes. He lifts off of Sungwoon’s shoulder once they reach the storefront where the shoot is taking place. Some other models are already shooting. “But that sounds fun.”

Sungwoon purses his lips as he holds the sunglasses in his hands out, comparing them to Seongwoo’s outfit. “I hope so. Are you doing anything?”

“I’m going to have a scandalous affair tonight with two men.”

“Then tell Jonghyun and Jisung I said ‘Hi,’” Sungwoon laughs again, deciding on a dark banded pair of glasses. He hands them over. “But nothing else? No vacations? Dates?”

“Besides bar crawling under Jisung’s nose, all I’m really doing these days is looking for work.” He slips the sunglasses on. “You’re not doing any other shoots that need an extra hand, do you?”

Sungwoon shakes his head. “Not that I can think of. We’re pretty set.” He gives a smile. “You’ll find something. I hear the photographers talk about you a lot. You’re getting popular with the staff.”

“I hope that leads to popular with fans…” he mumbles. Popularity with staff is always a start, though.

“Speaking of which…” Sungwoon motions over his shoulder. “Looks like you’ve got some admirers.” He’s pointing to a group of girls standing at the corner of the street. They’re covering their smiles behind phone screens, squealing in their direction.

Seongwoo perks up, mood instantly better. He smirks, lowering the sunglasses on his face. “Should I make their day?”

He can practically hear Sungwoon’s eye roll, but he gets an encouraging pat on the ass to flirt away. “Knock ‘em dead, Casanova. But you’re on soon.”

Seongwoo gives a thumbs up, before sauntering over to the girls. Judging by their uniforms, they’re in high school - the ideal age for fans. He puts on a smile. “Hi ladies. Enjoying the views?” The girls giggle behind their phones, some nodding at his question. “Well, my name’s Ong Seongwoo, and I’d be happy to sign any-”

“Is that your Cat?” one of the girls asks.

 _Cat_? Seongwoo frowns, turning to where the girls are looking. And there Sungwoon is, curiously watching the group but giving the girls a wave. The girl’s friends squeal.

Seongwoo blinks. The girls were looking at Sungwoon? And _not_ him? “No, he’s not my Cat,” he grumbles.

“Is he a model, too?”

“Did you adopt him?”

“I want to adopt a Cat, but my parents won’t let me…”

Seongwoo sighs, rubbing his hands through his hair. “No, he’s a stylist.” He straightens up, flashing a grin. “Though, _I’m_ a model-” But the girls ignore him, trying to sneak pictures of Sungwoon with their phones. Sure Cats are popular, but do they _see_ him? He knows he sound look pathetic, but he can’t feeling like shit. He’s that much of a nobody that high schoolers are more interested in _Cats_ than they are him.

_More interested in Cats._

He quickly turns on his heels, running up to Sungwoon. “ _Cats_!” he exclaims, grabbing Sungwoon by the shoulders. “Perfect!”

Sungwoon blinks. “Uh-” he starts, but Seongwoo is already running back towards the dressing area. “Seongwoo! You’re on soon!”

  


_________

  
  
  


“I’m adopting a Cat!” Seongwoo tells Jonghyun and Jisung when they walk into his apartment.

Jisung nearly drops the take-out he’s carrying. “A _cat_?” he echoes, eyebrow raising. “The last time you were near a cat, I had to drive you to the emergency room for hives.”

“No, not a _cat_ . They’re evil demons spawned from hell,” Seongwoo explains, taking the bag of Chinese food from Jisung. “A Cat _hybrid_ .” He still can’t believe it took him so long to realize - girls like _Cats_ . And more importantly, girls like guys who _have_ Cats. If he’s a good looking guy who adopted a Cat, he’ll gain fans in no time. It’s perfect. It’s genius. It’s-

“No,” is all Jisung says, walking out of his doorway and into the kitchen to grab plates.

Seongwoo frowns. “You haven’t even heard my plan!” Jisung should give him some credit, at least. This is totally not like the other (not so good) plans he’s had.

“I don’t need to hear it to know it’s a bad idea!” Jisung calls from the kitchen.

Seongwoo continues frowning, now turning to Jonghyun. “It’s a good plan, really-”

Jonghyun shakes his head. “Seongwoo, you can’t just _adopt_ a Cat. They’re a huge responsibility!”    

“I already know what’s going to happen,” Jisung huffs as he walks back into the living room, balancing plates and chopsticks in his hands. “You adopt a Cat, and then leave it with me when you don’t want to take care of it.”

“I wouldn’t-”

“It’s a no,” Jisung says, dropping the utensils on the coffee table.

Seongwoo stands with a frown on his face as Jonghyun takes the bag of food from him. “A Cat isn’t some toy you buy and return when you’re done,” Jonghyun says. “It’s a lifelong commitment.”

The three fall in silence as they begin eating. Seongwoo angrily stuffs dumplings in his mouth. It’s the perfect plan, but Jonghyun’s right - Cats are a responsibility. They need support and attention. Cats like Minki who don’t have or want owners are rare, since most want a stable, loving environment. And that’s something Seongwoo definitely can’t give if he’s working his way up as an actor.

So he’s back to square one. He groans around the dumpling in his mouth.

“You could volunteer at a shelter, though.”

Seongwoo looks over at Jonghyun. “Volunteer?” he asks, not being bothered by the food that’s flying out of his mouth.

Jonghyun nods. “Yeah. You can’t adopt, but volunteering may bring in just as much publicity.”

Jisung hums around his chopsticks. “Doesn’t require as much time commitment…” He pauses, face slowly lighting up. “That could work. Do you know how?”

Jonghyun’s eyes brighten. “There’s a shelter right in Myeongdong! That’s where Dongho adopted his Cats from.”

“Dongho?” Jisung questions. “That’s your friend on the music side, right?”

“Yeah, and he’s in this building, right Seongwoo?”

“On this floor actually,” Seongwoo replies. Dongho and his Cats moved up from a few floors down for more space. Seongwoo remembers since when he left for work he nearly killed himself tripping over a basketball that found its way in front of his door. Dongho had apologized profusely and scolded the taller of his Cats (something with a G…). He even offered to take Seongwoo to the doctor’s if needed, but Seongwoo felt awkward having Dongho escorting him, so he brushed it off and said he was fine.

That was about the extent of their relationship.

Jisung purses his lips. “Myeongdong is only a few subway stops away. Do they take volunteers?”

Jonghyun nods. “From what Dongho’s told me, any Cat shelter could use a few more hands.” He looks over to Seongwoo. “I think if you want to use Cats, this would be your best option.”

“I think it’s a great idea, Jonghyun,” Jisung says, pouring himself a rather large shot of soju. “You-” he points at Seongwoo, “Are in charge of speaking with Dongho and seeing if he can help you get into the shelter.”  

“Uh -” Seongwoo starts. “Can’t I just go myself?”

“Most shelters need a referral of some sort for volunteers,” Jonghyun explains.

Seongwoo groans. Besides the basketball incident and this one time Seongwoo helped the other Cat (Seon...something) when he got lost in the neighborhood, Seongwoo’s never really spoken with Dongho, even though he’s a friend of Jonghyun and employed at Fantagio. And, no offense to Dongho, he scares Seongwoo. He’s a bit afraid of anyone whose biceps are thicker than his entire body.

“Are you sure I can’t just-”  
  
“ _No_ ,“ Jisung growls, stuffing a dumpling into his face. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

It takes a few minutes of self pep talk and a shot of soju before Seongwoo has the balls to walk down the hall to his neighbor’s door the next night. He tugs his sweatshirt’s hood tighter around his head - he as got to remember to complain to his landlord. The hallways are getting chilly with the Autumn air and he’s waiting for the heat to kick in. With one more deep breath, Seongwoo steps in front of Dongho’s door and knocks.

“ _I got it_!” Someone yells from inside the apartment. Seongwoo swears he hears things falling over before the door swings open. The shorter of the Cats is in front of him, ears perked in curiosity. “Oh! You!” he exclaims, eyes widening.

This was the one who got lost and Seongwoo found him chasing a butterfly. _Seon-something_. He clears his throat. “Uh..hi is…” What even _is_ Dongho to them? Owner? Master? Dad? “Uh, is Dongho here?” he ends up going with.

Seon-something’s eye brighten, a large smile appearing on his face. “Yep!” he chirps. “He’s here.”

There’s a few moments of silence as Seongwoo waits for the Cat to call for Dongho, or let Seongwoo in. But he just stands at the doorway, now expectedly looking at Seongwoo now that he’s answered the question. _Oh brother…_ Seongwoo clears his throat. “Uh, could I... _talk_ with him?”

He can see the lightbulb go off in Cat’s eyes. “Oh right!” He turns on his heels, racing into the apartment shouting “Dongho! That handsome neighbor is here to see you!”

Seongwoo surprises himself when his hand comes up to smack his forehead, literally facepalming at this Cat. “Jesus Christ…” he sighs, dragging his hand down his face. He catches sight of the other Cat, who’s watching from behind the couch, ears and eyes only visible from this side of the sofa. “Hi?” Seongwoo offers, but the Cat’s eyes widen and he ducks out of view.

Cats are strange.

Seon-something comes running up, Dongho in tow. “Here he is!” he tells Seongwoo, before darting off to grab the other Cat and pull him away. His movement nearly gives Seognwoo whiplash.

“Seongwoo, right?”

Seongwoo turns his attention back to Dongho. “Uh, yeah,” he replies. “Hi-” _Is it just me or did Dongho’s arms get even bigger???_ “Jonghyun told me, uh, Kim Jonghyun, y’know, from work-”

“Yeah, of course I know him,” Dongho interrupts, sounding a bit annoyed.     

Seongwoo gives a small, uncomfortable laugh to try and ease his tension. “Uh, yeah, Jonghyun. Well, he told me me to come over...not _come over_ but-”

“Seongwoo.”

“Can you tell me about the shelter in Myeondong?” he blurts out, deciding to end this pathetic excuse of a conversation. “The-e Cat one.” His face turns a bit red. He’s a model for fucsk sake - why does he get cold feet speaking with strangers?

Dongho’s taken aback from the question. “Why? You’re looking to adopt?” he asks.

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Uh, no, just volunteer.”

“ _Volunteer_?” Dongho raises an eyebrow. “Is Fantagio making you volunteer?”

Seongwoo’s frowns. “No, I’m doing it by myself.” Does Seongwoo look like the kind of guy to only volunteer if he had to?

Which, he is. But still.

Dongho’s eyebrow is still raised, and based off his expression he’s not buying it. “Modeling not fulfilling enough for you?”

What the fuck. Now he’s just being a dick. “Look, I just came over to get information about the shelter. That’s all I need.” Seongwoo sighs, running his hand through his hair. “It’s Jonghyun’s idea if you need to know.” Maybe that’ll be good enough for Dongho.

Said neighbor is still frowning at him, but after a few moments of silence, shrugs. “If Jonghyun wants you to volunteer, knock yourself out.” He walks away, leaving Seongwoo alone at the door. Dongho left it open, and Seongwoo wonders if that was an invitation to come in. He briefly considers, wondering what Dongho’s apartment looks like since Seongwoo _knows_ that Dongho makes more than him, but he quickly changes his mind when Dongho returns to the door. “Here’s Boa’s business card - she’s the manager at the shelter.” He hands the card over. “Tell her I referred you.”

That was easier than Seongwoo expected. He smiles at Dongho. “Thanks! This is a big help.”

“No problem. Just whatever you’re planning, don’t involve any of the Cats. They’ve been through enough as it is.”

Seongwoo frowns. “What’s that supposed to-”

Dongho slams the door in his face.

  
  
  


_________

  
  
  


The shelter isn’t what Seongwoo was expecting.

The building looks out of place from the vibrant, new buildings that cramp Myeongdong’s main streets. Seongwoo turned down a few alley’s he never knew existed to find the three story building that has seen better years. For some reason, he expected a bright colored building with stickers or light or something on the outside. Instead, there’s a rusty gate in front that surrounds the building and yard out in front. He thinks the white paint on the outside is chipping. Seongwoo has to search before he finds the call button hidden behind the branches of an overgrown bush.

“Hi! Can I help you?” whoever answers the intercom asks.

Seongwoo leans in closer, hiking his bag up on his shoulder. The branches are block some of the sound. “Uh, I’m Ong Seongwoo, I spoke to-”

“Yes, come right in!” the voice calls, opening the gate. Seongwoo enters, and notices the front yard looks better well kept than the rest of the building. It’s a bit small, but that’s to be expected around the city.  There are balls and toys scattered around, and Seongwoo is careful not to step on any.  He’s buzzed through front door when he gets there, which creaks a bit when it opens, and Seongwoo winces at the sound. There’s stairs leading up, so up he goes, remembering that the 2nd floor is what he needs for the main office.

The door to the office is colorful, painted different shades of blue and green with handprints all over it. It’s a bit childish for Seongwoo’s taste, and he resists the urge to roll his eyes as he steps through the door.

 _Thwack_!

Something sticky hits his forehead, suspiciously staying in his hair.

“ _Oh my god_ , I’m so sorry!” a voice calls out.

“What the-” Seongwoo peels the mysterious substance off his head. A gummy bear. _Did someone just throw a_ Gummy Bear _at me?_ He doesn’t have much time to wonder why the fuck he got hit with a Gummy Bear before someone snatches the jelly out of his hand.

“ _I’m so sorry_ !” the person - _Cat_ \- says again, quickly throwing the jelly into a nearby trashcan. “I thought you were someone else!”

Seongwoo blinks. “You just throw gummy bears at people?” Maybe this whole Cat charity thing was a bad idea.

To his surprise, the Cat lets out a breathy laugh, a bit too loud. “No, just my friends who work the front desk,” he giggles, showing Seongwoo a bright smile. His tail is wagging back and forth. “Are you here to adopt a Cat?”

“Oh, no,” Seongwoo says quickly, shaking his head. “I’m just here to volunteer.”

He feels a bit bad - he can see the Cat deflate a bit, blonde ears turning down, but the smile stays on his face. “That’s okay,” he says. “We like having volunteers.”   

“Daniel, don’t scare him away!”

The Cat pouts, turning towards a boy who’s walking into the lobby.  “I’m not doing anything!” he whines, ears dropping even more.

“He hit me with a gummy bear,” Seongwoo jokingly whines back. His lips quirk when the Cat’s - _Daniel’s_ \- ears turn red and he quickly turns back, scandalized.

“I said I was sorry!” Daniel whines again. He squeals when the boy reaches to pinch his side.  

“How about you help Boa finish up lunch before you take someone’s eye out?” he chuckles.  Daniel sighs, mumbling something under his breath, but does walk back into the building. The boy’s still chuckling as he reaches out his hand to Seongwoo. “Hi Seongwoo, I’m Minhyun. Assistant manager.”

Seongwoo shakes it. “Nice to meet you.” He tries not to let his eyes wander too much because _damn_ is this guy totally his type.

“Sorry about Daniel,” Minhyun says, motioning for Seongwoo to sit in front of the front desk. “He’s a bit of a handful.”

Seongwoo appreciates Minhyun’s backside when he walks away. “It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting to be pelted by gummy bears.”  

Minhyun chuckles again. “One of our workers is supposed to be in at this time. He probably thought you were him.” He sits behind the desk and flips through some papers. “Boa will be done soon. She’s just finishing up upstairs and will come down when she’s finished.”

Seongwoo hums and takes a seat, setting his bag down on the floor. The silence becomes a bit awkward. Seongwoo shuffles in his seat, letting his eyes wander around instead of conversing. There’s a ton of pictures on the walls, and what looks like certifications. Seongwoo’s eyes sweep the photographs, looking at all of the different Cats and what he guesses are other volunteers in the pictures. One of them catches his eye - it’s Dongho’s Cats, surrounded by a few others, including Daniel.  

“Have you spoken to Seonho and Guanlin? How are they?”

Seongwoo jumps a bit, frowning at Minhyun. “Who?”

Now Minhyun looks confused. “Seonho and Guanlin? Dongho’s Cats?” he asks again, motioning to the picture Seongwoo was looking at.

 _That’s their names!_ Now Seongwoo remembers. “Uh,” he starts, not knowing if he should lie and say they’re fine or tell Minhyun they tried to kill him with a basketball, but he’s thankfully saved by the office door opening.

Minhyun looks past him. “You’re late again,” he says, sour. Seongwoo turns to who Minhyun is speaking to. Another guy is walking in, one hand deep in a potato chip bag.

“Bus was late,” he answers, slipping off his backpack.

Minhyun snorts and rolls his eyes. “Seongwoo, this is Jaehwan. He works here a few times a week.” He scowls as Jaehwan crosses the room and sits on the desk, facing Seongwoo. “Jaehwan, this is Ong Seongwoo, Dongho’s friend.”

 _Dongho’s friend._ Seongwoo shakes his head. “O-oh, we’re not-”

“ _Ong_ Seongwoo?” Jaehwan asks, voice full of surprise. He leans in close to Seongwoo’s face, eyes squinting. After a few seconds, he sits back with a surprised look on his face.  “I know you!” he says.

Seongwoo blanks. He has _no_ idea who this kid is, and he briefly panics because he really, _really_ hopes that Jaehwan isn’t a one night stand that he can’t remember. “Y-you do?” he squeaks.

The kid nods. “Yeah! You did that Sony commercial a few months ago! That was shot right in front of my college!”

Relief comes quick, but Seongwoo tries his best not to show it. “Yeah, that was me. I’m surprised you remember.” It was one of Seongwoo’s better commercials, but still nothing fantastic or memorable to the public.

Jaehwan shrugs. “It’s hard to forget a face like yours,” Jaehwan replies, giving Seongwoo a flirty smile. Seongwoo finds himself flattered. At least one person in this country remembers him, and is smooth with compliments.

Minhyun smacks the back of his head. “You’re such a sleaze,” he scowls. He motions to the back of the room. “Go do your job so Seognwoo can meet Boa.”

Jaehwan lets out this laugh at Seongwoo’s never heard outside horror movies as he walks through one of the doors. A minute or so later, a Cat peeks her head through, smiling at him. ‘Seongwoo, you can come back with me.”

Seongwoo picks up his bag and follows her through the door. “Nice to meet you,” he says, shaking Boa’s hand. Boa is a short Cat with a pretty smile, and definitely younger than Seongwoo originally thought from the way she spoke on the phone.

“Nice to meet you, too,” she replies, leading Seongwoo down the hall and into her office. It’s small, but looks even smaller with boxes stacked to the ceiling and papers scattered across the desk. She motions for Seongwoo to take a seat a cross the desk. “Thank you so much for offering to volunteer. We could use a few extra hands around here.” She begins tapping on her computer. “Do you have those documents we spoke about?”

He reaches into his bag and grabs a folder of documents. “Do you really need all of these?” he asks, curious. It’s been awhile since he’s done any sort of volunteering, but do they really need his birth certificate?

Boa lets out a soft laugh, ears perking. “Yes, we need to put your information into the government database. We use it to keep track of anyone in contact with the Cats.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo says softly. That makes sense. While Boa types away, Seongwoo fidgets in his seat. He hopes this isn’t going to take long. He has an go-see in an hour and needs time to meet Jonghyun and get prepped. He hopes he can land this job since it’ll last him a week.

“How long do you think you’ll volunteer for?” Boa asks, focusing on her computer.

“Uh,” _Until I’m famous_. “A few months?” That seems like a good enough time frame.

Boa nods. “Do you have anything in particular you’d like to do?”

“Not...really?” Was he supposed to?

Boa chuckles again. “Well, the easiest thing to start with is just socializing. We do homework help for the younger Cats after their programs, sports days, help out with dinners...There’s a lot that can be done.” She hands the folder back to him. “Every little bit helps, especially with these kids.”  

That doesn’t sound too bad. If Seongwoo can get along with Minki and Sungwoon, babysitting and playing with younger Cats shouldn’t be too difficult. “Sounds good to me.”

Boa smiles. “We’ll give you a call when your background check comes through, but most likely it’ll be sometime next week.”

As he walks out of the office, a little hurried to make sure he catches the next bus to Gangnam, Seongwoo begins daydreaming about the headlines - Ong Seongwoo, humble model and future actor, dedicates his time to help Cat in need. There’s a picture of him, reading to a group of wide-eyed Kittens. The public’s heart melts. Companies beg him to model their products, stations give him the lead roles in their new dramas. 

He can dream.  
  
  
  


_________

  
  
  


“So, how’d it go?” Jonghyun asks. They’re waiting in the lobby of the broadcasting station who’s shooting the commercial. If they like Seongwoo, they’ll add him on to their roster for their commercial.

"Good,” Seongwoo replies, slipping on the suede shoes Jonghyun gave him. “It was just going over some information. The interview over the phone was scarier.” Once his shoes are on, Seongwoo looks around to take in the competition. He’s pleased to find himself the best looking in the room (if he says so himself), but that isn’t the only thing that directors or photographers will look for. They’ll look for personality, if the model fits the mood, and how well the models intereact with the main star.

Seongwoo knows he’ll nail all of it.

He reaches into Jonghyun’s bag for a mirror. “I met a fan, actually,” Seongwoo says, making sure there’s not a hair out of place. He had to rush a bit to meet Jonghyun at the go-see in Gangnam, but made it with a few minutes to spare. “At the shelter. Like, someone who knew me.”

Jonghyun smiles. “That’s great!” He nudges Seongwoo’s shoulder. “See, you’re getting your name out there. If they spread the word about you being there, that’ll be a big help.”   

“I’ll definitely butter him up,” Seongwoo replies, putting the mirror back. When he does, a staff member peeks her head out, calling “Gong Seongwoo?”

Seongwoo scowls. “ _Ong, god dammit_ ,” he mumbles. “ _Ong_.”

Jonghyun chuckles, putting his back as he stands up. “Knock ‘em dead.” Seongwoo straightens up his jacket, and is about to step through the door  when Jongyun calls, “Hey, Seongwoo, one more thing.” Seongwoo turns back to his manager. Jonghyun has a frown on his face. “Don’t tell anyone else that you’re volunteering for exposure, okay?”

Now Seongwoo frowns. “I wasn’t planning on it…” He’s not going to scream out into the streets that’s he’s volunteering in hopes his career takes off. Seongwoo knows that this whole plan is a bit deceitful, but honestly at this point he’s willing to do anything - even volunteer to make himself appear charitable.

“I know, but just watch yourself. I don’t want this to come back and bite you in the ass.”

Seongwoo gives him a smile. “I’ll be careful. Promise!”

The staff member peeks her head in again. “ _Gong Seongwoo_?”

Seongwoo groans.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

“How was Joella?”

Sungwoon perks up, tail wagging. “It was great!” he says, but his voice is muffled by the safety pins in his mouth. His tail comes up and taps Seongwoo’s arm, and Seongwoo lifts it higher so Sungwoon can pin under his arm. Today’s photoshoot as Seongwoo wearing a school uniform that was a bit too large in the sleeves. When he’s pinned in place, Sungwoon drops the pins from his mouth to his hand. “The beach was still nice, even if it was cool out. And his Aunt made this _delicious_ Oyster stew. And we met his niece for the first time, and she was _adorable_.”

“Sounds like it was fun,” Seongwoo replies, sighing as he finally puts his arm down.

“It was. How was your week?”

Seongwoo shrugs. “Busy. I had a lot of go-sees and auditions.” After meeting Seongwoo at the go-see, Jonghyun was able to get him a few more auditions for some commercials and shoots. They’re not long contracts, only a day or two for each, but it’ll keep him busy for the next three weeks.

“That’s good,” Sungwoon replies, putting his things down on the dressing room table. He peeks around at the clock on the wall to make sure Seongwoo’s on time for Minki to do his makeup before the shoot. “You’ve got a few minutes to relax.”

“Thank God,” Seongwoo groans. He grabs a water bottle from Sungwoon’s dresser and chugs down half the bottle. These clothes are _hot_.

“Oh! By the way -” Seongwoo looks over to Sungwoon. “One of the new groups is having a music video shoot over the weekend. I could find something for you to help out with for some extra cash.”

Seongwoo takes another gulp of water. “Where?” he asks. He could definitely use the extra cash.

“Jeju.”

Seongwoo sighs. “Nah, I can’t. I’m waiting to hear back from a Shelter,” he replies. He wants to jump at the offer, but Boa’s going to contact him within the next few days to come in and set up a schedule. He’ll have to be in town.

Sungwoon pauses, confused. “Shelter?”

Whoops. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that. “Uh, yeah. I’m volunteering at a Cat shelter in Myeongdong.” He stops there, remembering what Jonghyun said. _Don’t tell anyone else that you’re volunteering for exposure._

Lucky for him, Sungwoon’s doesn’t press further. “Wow, Seongwoo!” Sungwoon says. He has a bright smile on his face. “That’s awesome. Is Jisung or Jonghyun helping?”

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Nope, just me.”

“Well,” Sungwoon continues, motioning for Seongwoo that it was time for make-up. “If you ever need help, let me know!”

It’s a nice gesture. “I will,” he answers. Seongwoo keeps it in mind - he’s sure Sungwoon would like helping out at the shelter, and the shelter would probably love having a Cat around to help out. Besides, it may help to have a friendly face around if Seongwoo’s going to survive this charity project.

  
  


_________

  
  
  


It takes a few more days before his background check clears. Boa gives Seongwoo a call saying he’s all set to go, and Seongwoo makes the trip to the shelter on his next day off. He’s a bit more cautious when entering the front door again, but happy to find he’s not pelted with gummy bears this time around.

“Hi Seongwoo!” greets Jaehwan from behind the front desk when he walks in. He’s munching on a chocolate bar. “Boa’s out today, but Minhyun’s gonna give you a tour of the building once your paperwork is done!”

“Sounds good,” Seongwoo replies, hanging his jacket up on the coat rack. He sits himself across from Jaehwan, who’s pushing a pile of papers to him.

“You’ll have to sign these,” Jaehwan says. “Just privacy contracts and stuff.”

Seongwoo hums, flipping through the papers. He’s familiar with privacy contracts from work - don’t share photos, don’t speak about future projects that haven’t been revealed by management, probably something about not putting any of the Cats in danger. He absentmindedly signs through the papers, before handing them back to Jaehwan.

“ _MINHYUN_!” Jaehwan screams, leaning back in his chair. Seongwoo nearly falls out of his seat in surprise. He can hear the sound of feet running upstairs, before one of the doors flings open, Minhyun huffing in the doorway.

“WHAT?” he screams back, eyes darting around, trying to find the reason for Jaehwan’s screaming.

“Seongwoo’s all set to go,” Jaehwan replies, calm, a smile on his face.

Seongwoo can see Minhyun’s face turn from alarm, to confusion, then anger as he realizes there is no emergency. Jaehwan has the audacity to laugh at Minhyun. “ _Jaehwan,_ ” Minhyun growls. His face gets red, but instead of punching Jaehwan in the face like Seongwoo thought, Minhyun sighs and shakes his head. “Alright Seongwoo, you can follow me.”

Seongwoo’s a bit afraid of Minhyun now, but silent nods and walks to the door. Jaehwan’s still laughing when it shuts. Seongwoo feels like he should apologize or something for Jaehwan, so he peeps out a “Uh, sorry?” to Minhyun.

Minyun chuckles. “That’s just Jaehwan being Jaehwan. You’ll learn to love him.”  He leads Seongwoo up the stairs, and Seongwoo takes the opportunity to admire how nice he looks in skinny jeans. “So, down on the second floor are meeting rooms and Boa’s office. Boa will meet with any potential sponsors and things like that down there.” At the top of the stairwell, Minhyun opens the door and shows Seongwoo into a large, open living room. The walls are painted white with colorful circles around. One wall has names written on it, the other is filled with pictures.

There are couches, bean bags, and a table with chairs set around it. There’s a TV set with a variety of games scattered around, a bookshelf filled with books, and a pool table. “Wow,” Seongwoo says, looking around. Though everything isn’t the newest of models, this looks pretty fun. Seongwoo could see himself hanging out here.

“Yeah, this is the living room,” Minhyun answers, walking across the room. Seongwoo follows. “It takes up all of the second floor along with the kitchen.” When they pass the table with chairs, Minhyun says, “This is where the Cat still in school will do their homework. They get an hour of supervised homework time. Most new volunteers will help them with it.”

“Hopefully no math,” Seongwoo mumbles. He was never good at math.

Minhyun laughs again. “Jaehwan helps with math. He’s pretty good at it.”

Seongwoo feels a bit bad for a moment for being surprised that Jaehwan is good at math, but doesn’t muse over it for too long. He follows Minhyun through another door, with another stairwell. “The third and fourth floor is where the Cats live,” Minhyun explains as they climb. When they get to the top, Minhyun opens to a hallway, this one lined with doors. “It’s dorm style,” he says. “The younger Cats live upstairs, while the older Cats live on this floor.”

Seongwoo hums, stepping into the hallway. He can hear some of the Cats through the open doors.  “How many Cats do you have here?”

“Anywhere from ten to twenty at a time,” Minhyun answers. He begins walking down the hall. “Right now we’re at thirteen.”

 _Only thirteen?_ “I thought there’d be more,” Seongwoo says. For a shelter in one of the busiest neighborhoods in Seoul, Seongwoo expected there to be more Cats.

Minhyun gives him a sad smile. “Yeah, twenty’s the most we could fully support. We wish it was more but…” He shrugs. “Can’t always get the funding.”

“Oh,” is all Seongwoo replies. That’s kind of sad. He always thought shelters like this received loads of funding, or had enough money through donations. Seongwoo never thought that places like shelters would have trouble with finding funding. Who wouldn’t want to give money to helping Cats? “Why don’t-”

“ _YOU’RE DEAD, WOOJIN_!”

Seongwoo’s cut off mid sentence by the cry of fury, and by something small and fast whizzing past his head. Seongwoo jumps in surprise, quickly pushing himself against the wall as a blur of red runs past him at full speed and dives next to him, using his body as a shield. A second later, another Cat turns from one of the rooms, running straight towards the other.   

“Hey!” Minhyun yells, reaching out and grabbing the Cat by the shirt collar before he gets to far. The Cat chokes for a moment, almost smacking Seongwoo in the face with the Nerf gun in his hand. “What did I tell you two about shooting Nerf guns inside?” Minhyun shouts again, not even looking fazed.

The red-haired Cat crouching at Seongwoo’s side peeks his head around Seongwoo’s knees, ears lowered. “Jihoon did it first,” he says, pointing at the other with his gun.

“It was _your_ idea!” the other hisses, trying to pull himself away from Minhyun. He chokes again on his shirt collar.  

Minhyun sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Boa’s going to kill us all if you two break something else.” He tugs on Jihoon’s shirt once more before letting go. “Give them to me.”

Jihoon mumbles something under his breath, but reluctantly hands over the toy. The Cat next to Seongwoo gets up and hands his over as well. Minhyun tucks them under his arm. “Next time just use them outside,” he says. He turns to Seongwoo, who’s still against the wall. “Oh, sorry Seongwoo. This is Jihoon and Woojin.” He turns back to the Cats.  “This is Seongwoo. He’s going to be volunteering here.”

Jihoon perks up a bit, ears alert. “Oh, so you’re the model,” he says, looking at Seongwoo expectantly. The red-haired Cat, Woojin, cocks his head in curiousity.

“Uh, yeah,” Seongwoo replies, peeling himself from the wall. “How’d you know?”

“Jaehwan told us.” Jihoon smiles. “He said you were really good looking.”

Seongwoo’s a bit flattered that Jaehwan’s telling others he’s good looking. He smiles back at the Cats. “Hope I didn’t disappoint.”

“Eh,” Woojin replies, shrugging his shoulders. Jihoon laughs.

 _Well then_.

“Wasn’t Daniel supposed to keep an eye on you two?” Minhyun says quickly. He shoots Seongwoo an apologetic look. Though honestly, Seongwoo’s heard worse.

Jihoon snickers. “He fell asleep.”

“Of course.” Minhyun deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Okay, you two -” He points at the Cats. “Go to your room and get your homework done because I _know_ you haven’t started yet.” Woojin opens his mouth, but Minhyun points towards the door. “ _Go_.”  

As the two Cats groan to their room, Minhyun turns to Seongwoo. “Sorry about that. Those two are handfuls.”

Seongwoo blinks. “You have a lot of handfuls here,” he says. That’s the 2nd time a Cat’s almost killed him with flying projectiles.

Minhyun chuckles. “We do, but you’ll learn to love them. Speaking of which…” Minhyun walks to the end of the hall, a few doors away. He knocks. “Coming in, Niel!” he says, before entering. Seongwoo’s left standing in the hallway, unsure of if he should follow. He’s pretty content of just staying there, but he hears a door next to him open and the two Nerf gun Cats are peaking at him, giggling to themselves.

Seongwoo decides that he best not risk his life with these two and quickly walks to the door Minhyun entered.

He peaks his head in. Minhyun’s opening the shades to the room, and Seongwoo hears a groan from underneath a pile of blankets and pillows. “Remember when you promised to keep Jihoon and Woojin out of trouble?” Minhyun asks the pile. His tone is a bit bitter, but there’s a fond smile on his face. The pile mumbles something back to him that Seongwoo can’t hear. “Well, you shouldn’t have stayed up reading comics,” Minhyun clucks, this time dragging the blankets down the bed. “Up, we’re showing Seongwoo around.”

There’s another groan, and the blonde Cat slowly sits up from the bed, looking a bit disoriented. _This is Daniel_ , Seongwoo recalls. The one that hit him with a gummy bear. It’s easy to tell, since Seongwoo can see candy wrappers and bags of jellies littered on the floor and even in the bed.

“Well Seongwoo, you already know Daniel,” Minhyun says, picking up some of the wrappers.

Daniel blinks for a few moments, but when his eyes land on Seongwoo he gives him a smile and his ears perk up a bit.  “Nice to see you again,” he mumbles, voice hoarse from sleep. Now that he’s facing Seongwoo, Seongwoo can see a jelly stuck in Daniel’s hair. It has him laughing a bit.

“Nice to see you too,” he replies. He points to his hair. “You’ve got one…”

Daniel doesn’t get the message at first, but after a few moments he begins feeling around his hair until he gets to the bear. “Oh!” he says, surprised. He lets out a laugh while he plucks the bear out. “Thanks!” He tosses the bear towards a garbage can on the other side of the room, which misses.

Minhyun frowns. “You need to clean up this room,” he mumbles, even though he’s still picking up wrappers for Daniel. “How about you meet us downstairs in a few minutes?”

Daniel hums in agreement, still looking sleepy. “A few minutes…” he mumbles back. His eyes are beginning to droop again, and it has Seongwoo chuckling again. Seongwoo understands the want to sleep the day away. And by the dark circles under Daniel’s eyes, he needs it.

“I mean it,” Minhyun says. He reaches out and gives Daniel a scratch behind his ears. “Five minutes.” He gives Daniel a pat on the back before walking towards Seongwoo, motioning to the door. Seongwoo walks behind him out, closing the door.  “You’ll be working a lot with Daniel,” Minhyun explains as they retrace their steps back downstairs. “He does a lot of the volunteer work around here.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies, not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Daniel seems nice, but then did (accidentally) throw food at him.

They make their way back down to the main floor. Jaehwan’s still behind the front desk, with two Cats standing behind him, huddle behind the computer. When Minhyun shuts the door behind him, loud and echoing through the lobby, the three straighten up. Both Cats’ tails and ears are up in alert.

“I hope whatever you’re doing is work appropriate,” Minhyun says as he and Seongwoo walk past the desk.

“We’re just watching videos,” one of the Cats replies, stuffing his hands into his overall pockets. He has a bright smile on his innocent face, and even Seongwoo knows he’s lying.

“Yeah,” Jaehwan agrees. “We’re just watching videos.”

Minhyun glares at Jaewhan. “We’re having a talk later.”

“But I’m not doing anything!” Jaehwan calls after Minhyun as he and Seongwoo walk into one of the offices next to Boa’s. This office is a bit larger, but still cramped. There are two desks pushed against each other in the middle of the room, one of which has candy wrappers and manga piled on top. It’s not hard to guess which desk is Daniel’s.

“Sorry about this,” Minhyun apologises, quickly scurrying over to Daniel’s desk and picking up the trash.

“It’s fine, really.” It’s not bothering Seongwoo. He’s not the tidiest person in the world, and he’s the one encroaching on Daniel's’ space. He walks over to the desk and picks up one of the manga. He somewhat recognizes the cover - Jonghyun reads a lot. “Daniel like these, too, huh?”

Minhyun snorts. “He’s up all night reading. I’ve seen him fall asleep with a book still in his hands.”

“My manager’s like that too,” Seongwoo replies. Whenever Seongwoo’s at events or shoots, Jonghyun always brings manga to read. There’s even an entire bookshelf at Jonghyun’s apartment full of books. Seongwoo doesn’t get the appeal, but he’s not going to question Jonghyun’s hobbies.

Minhyun has an armful of trash that he throws in a garbage can in the corner of the room. “Alright.” He points to the clean desk. “This’ll be yours. Boa asks that you help Daniel with some social media posts. Pictures of the shelter, events going on, things like that.” He takes a paper off the desk and hands it to Seongwoo. “Daniel’s good at coming up with the written parts, but not so much the pictures.”

Seongwoo nods along, taking the paper, which is a schedule of social media content. That’s easy enough. He’s a pro at Instagram. If he just has to post a few pictures up for charity, this will be a cake walk. “I can do that.”

“And like I said before, really just hanging out and keeping some of the Cats company. That’s the best thing that can be done for them.” He looks over Seongwoo’s shoulder, smiling. “Took you long enough.”

Seongwoo turns, and Daniel’s in the doorway, looking a bit more put together than before. He’s still in his sleep shirt and shorts, but his hair’s no longer sticking up and he looks more awake. He smiles. “Woojin couldn’t find his Gameboy.”

“Well, you have to keep your desk clean now since Seongwoo’s here.” Minhyun looks around the space. “I guess that’s it.” He looks over to Daniel. “Anything you want to add? I went over the social media stuff.”

Daniel hums, biting his lip. “Nah, I don’t think so.” He gives Seongwoo a bright smile. “It’ll be fun having someone else here.”

“Yeah, fun,” Seongwoo repeats. 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

“Here’s to your bat-shit crazy idea,” Jisung says, clinking his shot glass with Seongwoo’s. They both throw back the soju. Seongwoo takes it in one shot, enjoying the burn of the alcohol against his throat. Jisung nearly chokes when he swallows, coughing onto the bar. “I’m getting too old for this,” he wheezes, putting a hand on his chest.

Seongwoo laughs, patting his back. “Don’t go dying on me.” He rubs Jisung’s back as he scans the bar. It’s still a bit early, only about 10, so there’s not much to look at right now. He’s hoping to flirt for free drinks. No one’s really caught his eye yet, though. So he’ll have to wait it out a bit more.

Jisung takes a few more breaths before his breathing calms back down. “I’m never drinking with you again,” he mumbles, pushing his shot glass away from him.

“D’aw don’t be like that.” Seongwoo leans his head on Jisung’s shoulder, blinking up at him. “You wuv me,” he coos, pinching Jisung’s cheek as he speaks.

His publicist shakes him off. “You’re lucky you pay my salary. I’d have dropped you years ago,” he sniffs. It’s hollow, and Seongwoo laughs again. Jisung could manage or work for any artist in Fantagio. With his work ethic and likeable presence, any actor would be lucky to have him. But he sticks with Seongwoo for God knows what reason. If he hasn’t left yet, Seongwoo knows he’s here for the long run.

Seongwoo pours himself another shot. “Too bad Jonghyun couldn’t make it. He could use a break, too.”  

“He sees enough of you. I think this is his break,” Jisung replies, scowling when Seongwoo pours him a shot. “I’m not drinking that.”

Seongwoo shrugs and downs the shot for him. The two sit in silence for a few minutes. Jisung watches the television screens behind the bar, and Seongwoo continues scanning around for someone to catch his eye. Even if he’s not in the mood to take someone home, he’s definitely not opposed to dancing or drinks.

“So how’re the Cats?”

Seongwoo shrugs. “I’ve only met a few, but they’re not bad.” He’s only really met Daniel. And the two that tried to kill him with a Nerf gun. Seongwoo met a few others before left his first day, but he can’t remember their names.

Jisung nods along. “Well, keep on everyone’s good side. You don’t want any of them saying anything negative...” He trails off, eyes moving to the end of the bar behind Seongwoo. Seongwoo follows Jisung’s eyes to where a pretty woman walked up with some friends. Dark, long hair, large eyes - she’s totally Jisung’s type. Seongwoo turns to Jisung. “Go get her, tiger.”

Jisung sputters, shaking his head. “No way,” he mumbles, eyes lowering back to the bar.

“Come on, just talk to her.” Seongwoo bumps his shoulder. “Aren’t you the Casanova that wooed Bae Joohyun?”

“That was a long time ago and 100% luck.” But Jisung stills peeks over Seongwoo’s shoulder at the woman, and then quickly ducks down, eyes wide. “S _he smiled at me!_ ”

“You’re hopeless,” Seongwoo sighs, overly dramatic. He takes the last shot, before getting up and walking away.

“ _Where are you going?_ ” Jisung hisses after him, but Seongwoo knows that Jisung left alone is an open invitation. And sure enough, when Seongwoo stops at the other side of the bar, the woman is already in his seat, shaking Jisung’s hands.

What a good friend he is.

After a few minutes and another shot, a cutie with impeccable hair sets himself a few seats away. Seongwoo allows himself to admire how his legs look in the jeans he’s wearing. It works, and the guy turns in his direction, laughing when Seongwoo gives him a wink. It’s a green light for Seongwoo, and he’s about to jump over a few seats before his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. Seongwoo sighs, reaching in and taking it out.

It’s an email from Jaehwan. They need him to come in tomorrow. Seongwoo groans. Guess he’s not getting free drinks tonight. He still gives the guy an apologetic smile, before throwing a tip on the bar. He may as well head home now before he drinks anymore.  

He catches Jisung’s attention, waving towards the exit of the bar. Jisung’s still talking to the woman, and looks panicked when Seongwoo starts backing towards the door. Seongwoo waves him off. Jisung’s got game, and he doesn’t need Seongwoo there to be his wingman. And he deserves a night to himself. So Seongwoo motions he’ll call him in the morning, and leaves.

  
  


_________

  
  
  


“Are you really a model?” Daniel asks him.

Seongwoo looks up from the computer. Daniel’s still in his desk chair, using his tail to turn the chair around and around, staring off into space. Seongwoo’s surprised he’s not getting sick from all the spinning and eating jellies. “Uh, yeah,” he replies. “I am.”

“What’s it like?” Daniel asks him.

“It’s…a lot of long hours. And a lot of waiting around for jobs.” He pauses. “It’s not as fun as people think,” he answers truthfully. Modeling really isn’t as glamourous as television shows or movies make it out to be. Sure, the top tier models or actors are busy, but those like Seongwoo look everywhere for work. Some resort to part time jobs just to pay bills.

Daniel hums. “Did you always want to be a model?” He pops a jelly into this mouth. Seongwoo must have been staring, because Daniel catches his eye and straightens up. “Oh! Did you want one?” He offers the bag to Seongwoo.

Seongwoo shakes his head “Not really,” Seongwoo replies to Daniel’s question. He looks back down at the computer. “I’ve always wanted to be an actor. But modeling was kind of the first step.”

Daniel hums again, and the two fall quiet. Seongwoo keeps his attention on the computer. He’s updating the shelter’s Instagram profile, and setting up a Twitter account. Boa had given him a flashdrive with some pictures he could use, so he’s looking through the pictures to see which ones would look best. He’s beginning to recognize some of the Cats - Jihoon and Woojin are in a few, so are Daehwi and Jinyoung - two other Cats he’s met. He’s also seeing Daniel in a lot of them - always smiling, laughing in half of the one he’s in. There’s a good one of Daniel surrounded by some other Cats that Seongwoo may use as a profile picture.

“You’ll be an actor.”

Seongwoo looks over at Daniel. “What?”

“You’ll be an actor one day,” Daniel says again, giving Seongwoo a smile. “And you’ll be great at it.”

Wow, that’s nice. No one’s ever said that to him, besides Jisung and Jonghyun when he’s feeling down. It’s nice to hear it from someone who isn’t just trying to get him out of bed. “Uh, thanks,”  Seongwoo replies, not exactly sure how to answer.

Daniel giggles, ears twitching. “Sometimes you need a fan to believe in you.”

“Are you my fan now?” Seongwoo asks, smiling back. He wants to hit himself, since it came out a lot flirtier than he meant, but Daniel just laughs.

“I’ll be your fan,” he says. He gives Seongwoo a thumbs up. “ _Fighting_!”   

Seongwoo fake gags. “ _Ugh_ , please don’t. I can’t stand when people do that.”

Daniel laughs. “Aegyo not your thing?” He then puffs out his cheeks, putting his hands on his hips and his tail drooping at his side. “ _Hmph! Tha’s not nice!_ ” he shrills, voice high pitched and laced with cuteness. It has Seongwoo laughing, gagging even harder. Daniel joins him a few seconds later.

“Hey!” someone calls from the hall. After a few seconds, Jaehwan peaks his head in, rolling in on his office chair. “I’m not paying you two to goof off!”

“You’re not paying me,” Seongwoo deadpans. Daniel laughs, breathy and deep and nearly falls off his chair. Jaehwan rolls away, leaving Daniel and Seongwoo laughing amongst themselves.

“I wanted to be a dancer.”

Seongwoo looks over to Daniel. “Huh?”

“I wanted to be a dancer,” Daniel says again. “Ever since elementary school.” He goes quiet for a few seconds, before sitting himself up on the chair. “I was in a dance group when I was younger.”

“What kind of dance?”

“Everything,” Daniel answers. His eyes get a little brighter. “I liked modern dance, I did some b-boy stuff...”

“That’s cool,” Seongwoo says. “Like break dancing and stuff?”

“Yeah, I haven’t practiced in a while, though.” Daniel pauses. “I wanted to be a, like, choreographer or something.”

 _That’s_ really _cool_. “So why didn’t you?” Seongwoo asks. Daniel’s friendly and good looking enough, he could easily make it in the entertainment industry.

Just saying.

All of a sudden, Daniel’s face goes dark. His smile turns to a frown, and his eyes widen a bit. Seongwoo thinks he may have said something wrong, but as quick as it came, the smile’s back on. “Not a lot of places want to hire Cats,” he answers. The smile’s still on, but Seongwoo can sense a sad tone to his words. But he knows it’s true - until very recently, a lot of companies - entertainment or any type - didn’t really hire Cats. Cats like Minki and Sungwoon are anomalies.

It still has Seongwoo frowning. “You could still -”

“Hey Seongwoo, how’s it going?”  

Boa walks into the office, cell phone in one hand, a pile of files in the other, and a coffee cup held up by her tail. Seongwoo gives her a smile. “Going good,” he says.

“Good. Are you available on Friday?” she asks. “We’re thinking of heading to the center of town for some shopping and a movie. We’ll need an extra hand.”

“Oh!” Daniel sits straighter in his seat. His smile grows, tail wagging and ears perked.

Boa gives him a stern look. “We’re still waiting on approval. Don’t go spreading it, alright?” Daniel nods, tail wagging even harder.

“Yeah, I’m free,” Seongwoo replies, chuckling at Daniel’s reaction.

“Great! We’ll see you-” Boa’s phone rings, and she sighs as she answers, walking away.

Seongwoo frowns. “She’s really busy, huh?”

“Yeah, but she likes being busy,” Daniel answers. He picks his jelly bag from the desk, popping a few in his mouth. “But that’ll be fun! We haven’t seen a movie in a while.”

“As long as Jihoon and Woojin don’t bring their Nerf guns, I’m fine,” Seongwoo mumbles.

“Don’t worry,” Daniel chuckles. “I’ll help!”

Surprisingly, Seongwoo does feel better.

  
  


_________

  
  
  


Thursday brings one of the rare occasions where Seongwoo is at Fantagio’s headquarters in Gangnam. While most days Seongwoo is out on photoshoots or at go-sees for modeling gigs, there are times where he’s at the company speaking with producers, photographers, directors, or any artistic directors. Sometimes they’ll give Seongwoo pointers, other times they’ll criticize him on his weight, the bags under his eyes. Other times they’ll leave him in a meeting room for hours, forgetting they’re supposed to speak with him about potential jobs.

Seongwoo sighs, turning himself in the conference room chair. “Can I go home now?” he whines.

Jonghyun doesn’t find his whining cute. “We’re scheduled here until three. At least wait until two-thirty until you escape.” He gives Seongwoo a disapproving look, before burying his nose back into his comic book.

Seongwoo whines again. “ _I’m boooored_.” He slouches, leaving his head against Jonghyun’s shoulder. When Jonghyun doesn’t budge, he pouts. _This sucks_. They’ve been here since twelve, promised to meet with an executive to talk about Seongwoo’s future. What always happens is they wait until the last minute until a flighty secretary tells him that whoever is unavailable and will get back to him within the week.

It never happens.

“How about you go for a walk,” Jonghyun suggests. “Burn off some of that negative energy.”

“You’re mean. I’m getting another manager,” Seongwoo mumbles, but does get up from his seat and walks to the door. He might as well walk around and bore himself elsewhere. So he leaves one of the many offices and heads down the hall.

The walls in this part of the building are lined with pictures of Fantagio’s successful artists - many actors, a handful of idols, and the many staff that have helped them along the way. Maybe one day Seongwoo will be there, too. He spends a little too much time admiring Cha Eunwoo’s picture next to the vending machines, before deciding to get himself a coffee to keep himself awake. He had a photoshoot the previous day, and is beginning to feel the late night take its toll. He yawns as he watches the machine make his coffee.

“Hey, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo certainly does _not_ shriek in surprise, banging his hand against the vending machine and almost spilling coffee on himself.  Seongwoo turns with a groan, surprised to see Dongho in front of him. “O-Oh, hey,” he winces.

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “You good?”

“Never better,” Seongwoo replies through his teeth. He rubs his hand. _Shit_. His hand is throbbing and hurts like a bitch. And Dongho is watching him with this sad expression. Seongwoo probably looks pathetic. “I, uh, never thanked you for helping me with the shelter,” he says, hoping to distract Dongho from his little meltdown.

It works, since Dongho’s face changes from filled with pity to interest. “Oh. No problem.” He stuffs his hands in his sweatshirt. “How’s the shelter? Everything going good?”

“Oh yeah, it’s fine.” He rocks back on his feet. Should he say something else? “Uh, Minhyun’s really nice. And Boa.” That seems good enough. Dongho likes them, so maybe Dongho will like him if he compliments them?

The vending machine _dings_ behind Seongwoo, telling him his coffee is done. Even though now, Seongwoo doesn’t want coffee anymore. He just wants to run back to Jonghyun. But Dongho is looking at the coffee expectedly, so Seongwoo picks it up. “It’s hot,” he says lamely.

“I’m sure,” Dongho replies. The judgemental expression is back on his face. “But yeah, Minhyun and Boa are good with the Cats.” He opens his mouth to say something else, but pauses, then closes it.

Seongwoo frowns. “What?”

“Nothing.” Dongho shrugs, then walks past Seongwoo to the vending machine.

Seongwoo still frowns, but takes this as his opportunity to leave. So he walks away with his coffee, bringing it up to his lips for a taste. “ _Ow_ ,” he whines. It burns.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

 

“Woojin I swear to God if you unzip that jacket I am locking you in -” Jaehwan pauses his sentence when he locks eyes with Boa. “-my heart with all my love, I love you so much,” he quickly says, wrapping Woojin up in a hug.

Seongwoo chuckles at the exchange, but also shares the feeling of locking Woojin somewhere far and dark if he takes off his jacket again. When Seongwoo arrived to the shelter early Friday afternoon, Minhyun and Jaehwan were already rounding up all the Cats, making sure they all had on their jackets. Seongwoo was in charge of helping the younger Kittens tie their shoes. But now that they’re about to leave, Jihoon and Woojin have found it funny to take of their jackets since “ _it’s not that cold outside_ ,” even though Seongwoo’s phone says it’s the coldest Fall day Seoul’s seen this year.  

“But I don’t _need_ my jacket,” Jihoon whines, pouting up to Minhyun.

Minhyun, bless his patience, just smiles back at Jihoon. “The sooner you put your coat on, the sooner we can go. You don’t want to miss the movie, right?” This has Jihoon pouting even more, but he eventually zips up his jacket, ears flopping in annoyance.

Seongwoo doesn’t know how Minhyun does it. He must look bewildered, because Daniel starts giggling next to him. “Everyone listens to Minhyun,” he explains.

Now Seongwoo is the one who pouts. “But _how_ does he do it?” Woojin and Jihoon definitely were not going to put on their jackets when _he_ asked.

Daniel shrugs. “Comes with experience.”

“Alright everyone!” Boa calls over the noise. The Cats immediately quiet down, and Seongwoo revels in the silence. He takes the moment to sit himself down in one of the chairs in the lobby where they all are gathered. Daniel giggles again next to him.

“We haven’t even left,” he whispers as Boa goes over safety precautions.

“Leave me here, you can go on without me,” Seongwoo replies, sinking lower in the chair. He could really use a nap right now. He had a late night photoshoot, and got home around 3 in the morning before having to be at the shelter at 9.

“If you wanted to sleep you can use my bed.” Seongwoo looks over to Daniel. He’s got a worried expression on his face. “You do look tired,” Daniel continues.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Seongwoo shakes his head. “It was a joke.” Daniels’ still frowning at him, so Seongwoo springs up from the chair. “I’m fine,” he assures. Seongwoo’s had worse schedules in the past, and he doesn’t want to make Daniel worry. 

Or worse, have him think he’s lazy and not a hard worker, which he definitely doesn’t need for his image.

“Hey you two!” Daniel and Seongwoo look over to Jaehwan, who’s got Woojin in one arm and Jihoon in the other. The Cats are fighting, Jihoon yelling something at Woojin while Woojin tries to smack Jihoon’s head. “Give a guy a hand over here?” Jaehwan pleads.

Daniel chuckles, before darting over and scooping Woojin into a headlock and pulling Jihoon along with him. Jaehwan sighs, dragging his body over towards Seongwoo and sitting himself in the chair. “You go, I’ll stay.”

“Not a chance,” Seongwoo replies, pulling Jaehwan up and following the Cats outside.

It takes an extra few minutes to get to the center of Myeongdong with all the Cats in tow. Seongwoo nearly tripped over Daehwi who stopped to pick up a coin on the sidewalk, Minhyun has been slowing everyone down because one of the younger Cats just _had_ to get a piggy-back ride from him, and Jinyoung momentarily forget how to tie his shoelaces so Jaehwan had to tie them for him.

But the group makes it in one piece. Boa stops them in from of the movie theater. “Okay everyone! Stick with your groups and we’ll meet up again at 12, okay?”

Everyone voices their agreement, and the group splits up. Seongwoo follows Jaehwan who takes Daniel, Woojin, and Jihoon off in front of a dumpling shop. Seongwoo hopes his stomach grumble isn’t as loud as he thinks it is.

“Okay group, what do you want to do?”

“Shopping!” Jihoon immediately says. His tail and ears perk up.

Woojin frowns. “I wanted to go to a PC room...”

Jaehwan shrugs. “We can split up.” He looks over to Seongwoo. “Do you want to go to a PC room or go shopping?”

Seongwoo almost answers PC room - he’s really feeling that late night now - but then he realizes that he’s out in the middle of Myeongdong, where anyone can see him. “I’ll go shopping,” Seongwoo replies. This is the perfect time for him to be out with Cats. Maybe a fan will recognize him.

“Alright then,” Jaehwan turns to Daniel. “PC room or shopping?”

Daniel gives it a moment to think over. “Shopping,” he eventually decides, rocking back on his feet. “I could look for some new shoes.”

“Alright group -” Jaehwan sticks his hand out in the middle of them. “Break!”

  
  


_________

  
  
  


Seongwoo should have chosen the PC Room.

It’s been an hour, and Jihoon is dragging them to the tenth outlet. He hasn’t even bought anything yet, because nothing looks _good,_ he insists. Seongwoo’s not exactly sure what Jihoon means by good since everything he picks out looks like hot garbage (a red plaid shirt stapled to a highlighter yellow t-shirt?) Seongwoo thought _he_ was picky, but Jihoon’s on a whole other level.

“Why don’t you just get the T-shirt with the soccer ball on it?” Seongwoo suggests, a little whiny (not that he’d admit it). But kids (er, Kittens) like soccer right?

Jihoon frowns. “It’s ugly.”

Seongwoo gives up.

All the while, Daniel’s completely serene, whistling to himself as they walk or happily chatting with Seongwoo about a variety of topics: a new video game the shelter got as a donation, a song that just came out that he has stuck in his head, this new dumpling shop that opened just down the street. “-And they’re _huge_ , like, I can’t even pick it up with my chopsticks! I could eat a whole platter.”

Seongwoo hums along, trying to focus on Daniel rather than the headache that’s beginning to form. He really needs a nap.

Eventually, Jihoon lands on another store. He doesn’t say anything, just waltzes in, and Seongwoo tries not to whine. “I’ll wait here with Daniel,” he calls after Jihoon. He can see Jihoon shrug, so at least he heard him. So Seongwoo sags, leaning over his knees and taking this moment to rest. “Jesus, I don’t think I can -”

“ _SPIDERMAN_!”

Daniel whips past him, running out of view. Seongwoo wheezes, back cracking as he quickly straightens up. “D-Daniel hold on!” Seongwoo calls after him, dodging through the sea of bodies to catch up to where Daniel is. The Cat is pressed up against the class of a store, in awe at all of the Spiderman memorabilia that is being showcased. Hats, shirts, shoes, masks...there’s even a life-sized Spiderman outfit.

“Aw man, I want _everything_ ,” Daniel whines, tail moving in excitement. His eyes are darting back and forth between all of the promotions. “Isn’t it awesome?” He sounds like a kid at Christmas, and Seongwoo can’t help but find it cute.

Y’know.

“I’m more of an Iron Man guy, myself,” Seongwoo replies, shrugging his shoulders.

Daniel’s tail stops moving and he whips his head around, scandalized. “Iron Man? Over _Spiderman_?”

Now Seongwoo frowns. “What’s wrong with Iron Man?” Iron Man’s a respectable superhero. He leads the fucking Avengers. What’s cooler than that.

“Nothing’s _wrong_ with him,” Daniel explains. “He’s just got nothing on Spiderman.”

“But the Iron Man movies are so much better than the Spiderman movies.”

“But we’re not talking about _movies_ , we’re talking about _them_.”

“Well, Iron Man is so much better than Spiderman.”

Daniel dramatically gasps, putting a hand over his heart and staggering back a few steps. “How could you?!” he cries, and the flamboyance of it all has Seongwoo laughing. He feels Daniel slap his shoulder with his tail. “I’m not your fan anymore,” he pouts, ears flopping.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Seongwoo chuckles. “You can still be my fan, even if we disagree on superheroes.”

Daniel’s still pouting, but there’s a playful glint in his eyes. “I can’t be a fan of anyone who makes fun of  Spiderman.”

“Then I promise not to make fun of Spiderman anymore.” Seongwoo stands straighter, crossing his fingers over his heart. He makes sure to put on a stupid face, and sure enough it has Daniel giggling again. Seongwoo looks back at the promotions. “Why don’t you get something then?”

“Definitely,” Daniel agrees, looking back through the window as well. He’s reaching into his pocket, but his face quickly falls. “ _Crap_.”

“What?” Seongwoo asks, a bit worried about Daniel’s expression.

“I forgot my wallet,” Daniel mumbles. He groans. “I probably left it on the front desk back home.”

“Oh,” is all Seongwoo says. He looks back at the Spiderman case, then back at Daniel who’s really pouting now. It’s a shame, Daniel was really excited about Spiderman. It’s such a shame, that Seongwoo’s tell him, “Uh, I can buy it for you.”

 _What_.

Daniel whips his head around, eyes wide. “Oh, no, it’s fine.”

_He can come back and buy the Spiderman stuff._

“No, really. I don’t mind,” Seongwoo replies, even reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet.

“Seongwoo, you don’t have to,” Daniel insists. “I don’t need anything.”

_See? Daniel’s fine and doesn’t need anything._

“It’s _fine_. You can pay me back when we’re back at the shelter.” Daniel opens his mouth , but Seongwoo quickly takes him by the arm, pulling him into the store. “C’mon, it’s not every day you see a Spiderman spread.”

Daniel’s eyes are still wide, and Seongwoo momentarily thinks he’s overstepped a boundary. He’s just being nice, right? And Daniel can easily pay him back, so it’s not like Seongwoo’s giving him a gift. Can he even give gifts? Is that allowed? Maybe this is a bad idea and maybe Daniel realizes this and maybe Seongwoo is being inappropriate but Daniel’s _nice_ and if he wants a Spiderman souvenir he should get a Spiderman souvenir and -

“Okay,” Daniel says, with a smile that gets bigger when they step in front of the items. “I’ll pay you back as soon as we get back!” And then he’s darting through the aisle, looking at everything on display. “What should I get?”

Seongwoo follows him as he moves, amused at Daniel’s childlike awe of everything. It’s kind of refreshing being around Daniel, who’s been nothing but nice and bright towards him. Seongwoo’s gotten used to being around cranky, stressed, genuinely unpleasant staff members and models at work. The entertainment industry is all around a negative space. Sure, Jonghyun and Jisung are great, Sungwoon and Minki, too. But it’s nice to be around people that aren’t in that sphere.

Seongwoo continues following Daniel until the Cat stops in front of a display of Spiderman plushies. His smile gets wider as he takes one off the shelf, giving it a squeeze. “I think that’s a winner,” Seongwoo motions, and judging by how his tail wags, Daniel agrees. A shirt or hat was more along the lines of what Seongwoo was thinking, but somehow the plushie fits Daniel better.

So Seongwoo follows Daniel to the store counter, handing over the twenty thousand won for the doll to the cashier. “Really Seongwoo,” Daniel says, still smiling down at the plushie. “I’ll pay you as soon as we get back.”

“I believe you,” Seongwoo jokes, catching the time on clock behind the counter. “We’ll have to meet Jaehwan soon, so we can -”

 _We_.

“ _Shit_!” Seongwoo curses. He grabs Daniel by the arm, giving him a stern “ _Stay here_ ,” before running out of the store and back across the street.

He forgot about Jihoon. How could he forget about a _Cat_?

He runs back to the clothing store, running inside and looking around for Jihoon. He quickly scans the crowd and doesn't see any Cat ears. Seongwoo lets out a whine of despair as he flings himself onto the checkout counter. “Did you see that Cat that walked in here before?” A desperate whine escapes his lips when the cashier shakes his head, a bit spooked by Seongwoo’s needy appearance.

This is it. He officially fucked up.

Seongwoo runs out of the store in a panic, not knowing which way Jihoon would have walked. There’s a rush now in thc crowd since it’s lunchtime, and Jihoon could have gone searching for them, kidnapped by a stranger, decided to fuck it all and join a circus-

“Took you long enough.”

Seongwoo nearly cries at Jihoon’s voice, turning to find him sitting on a bench. His expression is sour. “Jihoon, I’m so sorry,” Seongwoo wails, walking up to the Cat. “I just-”

“Oh, Jihoon!” Jihoon looks over Seongwoo’s shoulder to where Daniel is walking up. “Were you waiting long?” Seongwoo now turns and sees Daniel gripping his new plush tighter in his arms.

Seongwoo wants to be mad because he told Daniel to stay in the store, but how could he be mad at Daniel holding his plushie like that?

Jihoon snorts. “I almost left you two behind. I could have went through three other stores by now.”

Seongwoo groans and hangs his head. “I’m gonna get fired.” There’s a lot of shit he can get away with, but there’s no excuse for almost leaving a Cat behind.

He feels a hand on his shoulder. “It was my fault. I ran off,” Daniel offers. He gives Seongwoo a smile. “I’ll take the blame.”

Seongwoo mumbles a “Thanks,” but it still doesn't make him feel better. He _forgot_ a _Cat_. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

  
  
  


_________

  
  
  


After a few more stores, Jihoon has decided that nothing in Myeongdong is his style and they should go meet up with the rest of the group. Daniel buys nothing else, too preoccupied and happy with his Spiderman plushie. So there they go, walking back to the movie theater, when Jihoon stops in front of Seongwoo. “ _Woah_!” he shouts.

Seongwoo knocks into his back, not expecting him to stop short.

“Is that you?” Jihoon asks, pointing up at a billboard hanging on the side of a building.

Seongwoo squints. It’s a little hard to see in the sunlight, but yes, that’s him. This shoot was from the shirt and jeans photoshoot he did weeks ago - right before he started working at the shelter. He’s posing with a female model and looking good, if he does say so himself. “Yep, that’s me.”

Both Cats “ _Woah_ ,” in awe. “You look really cool, Seongwoo,” Daniel says, with so much sincerity that Seongwoo’s a bit taken back.

“Uh, thanks,” he replies, unsure of what else to say. He really needs to be more articulate around Daniel, he keeps finding himself at a loss of words. Seongwoo looks back at Daniel, then smirks. “Am I as cool as Spiderman?” There, that sounds clever.

To his pleasure, Daniel blinks at him, processing what he said, but then giggles. “ _Almost_ as cool as Spiderman,” he says with his bright smile. “Spiderman’s got a few more muscles than you.”

Dammit. There it goes again.

Jihoon snorts next to them, making a gagging sound in the back of this throat. This has Seongwoo frowning. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Jihoon says, picking up his pace to walk in front of Seongwoo and Daniel.

Cats are weird.

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

“Hey Jae-”

Seongwoo can’t finish his greeting before Jaehwan is pouncing on him, pinning him against the wall with a finger to his mouth. “There’s a family here!” he whispers, motioning to one of the conference rooms. Seongwoo peaks around Jaehwan, and sees the back of Boa’s head.

Families are A Big Deal. From what Minhyun has told him, just getting a family through the door almost always ends in adoption. The Cats must be in a frenzy. Seongwoo looks back to Jaehwan. “Where do you need me?”

“Minhyun’s keeping everyone busy upstairs, so just hang out down here. Boa left some Instagram stuff.”

It’s probably better if Seongwoo kept to himself. He’s never been at the shelter when a family was there (though in the almost two months he’s volunteered, he’s never heard of a family visiting), so Seongwoo playfully nudges Jaehwan off of him and heads to his office. He doesn’t want to cause extra stress to Boa or the Cats.

Daniel’s behind his desk in the office, but instead of happily greeting Seongwoo like he usually does, he has his head on the desk, ears flopped over. Seongwoo frowns. “Are you okay?” he asks as he slides into his chair. He’s never seen Daniel like this. Said Cat mumbles something into the desk, not lifting up his head. Seongwoo frowns deeper. “What?” he asks, leaning close to Daniel to hear.

“I went to the _dentist_!” Daniel wails, lifting his head up to look at Seongwoo.

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies, a bit taken aback at Daniel’s outburst. Do Cats have different dentists than humans? Does Daniel just have a scary dentist? Seongwoo enjoys going to the dentist, but then again, Seongwoo’s dentist is a stud. “Is...that a bad thing?”

“ _I can’t eat jellies anymore_!” Daniel wails again, bringing his head back down to the desk. “I have _cavities_.”

 _Oh_. That would be something Daniel would be upset about. Seongwoo finds himself snorting through his nose, not wanting to laugh at Daniel’s predicament but finding his reaction funny. “That sucks. Sorry.”

Daniel sighs into the desk. “It’s fine. Boa says I need to eat more vegetables anyway.”

Now Seongwoo chuckles out loud. “I’m sure we can find you jelly flavored vegetables.”

“Ugh,” Daniel groans, lifting his head up with his tongue out in disgust. “That sounds gross.”

“How about sweet potatoes?”  Seongwoo jokes. He waits for Daniel’s response, but the Cat just blinks, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Seongwoo frowns.  “Y’know...sweet, like jelly...and potatoes…are a vegetable...” Seongwoo trails off when he realizes it was an awful joke and Daniel doesn’t get it.

Well, good thing Seongwoo’s not trying to be a comedian.   

“Nevermind,” he mumbles, ducking his head behind his computer screen. He starts the computer, hoping to let the failed joke go, but a few seconds later Daniel bursts into giggles.

“ _Oh_ , sweet potato!” He giggling louder after speaking, as if it got funnier out loud.      

“Yeah, it wasn’t that funny, sorry,” Seongwoo replies. It really was a bad joke, but Daniel keeps chuckling, giggles turning into loud laughter. His face begins turning red, and Seongwoo thinks he sees tears gathering in Daniel’s eyes. Seongwoo blinks. “Was it really that funny?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel wheezes, trying to catch his breath. He wraps his arms around his stomach. “ _Ah_ ,” he groans.

Seognwoo hums, playfully raising his eyebrow at Daniel. “Are you sure you’re not laughing at _me_?” To his delight, Daniel gasps, playing along.

“ _Never_ ,” he says, putting a hand on his chest in shock. “I would _never_ laugh at you.”

Seongwoo snorts, making sure Daniel can see him roll his eyes. It has Daniel laughing again, and the two fall into a comfortable silence. Seongwoo catches a look at the clock on the computer, and decides it’s probably time to start working now. Boa has his list of duties attached to the computer screen on a post-it - just a few posts today.  It’s definitely something Seongwoo can do by himself. “Hey, Daniel, I can do this.” He looks over to the Cat. “You can go upstairs with everyone else if you want.” Daniel would rather be with the other Cats in case the family tours around the building than stuck in the back with him.

Daniel peaks over his computer. “For what?” he asks, a bit confused.

“There’s a family here,” Seongwoo replies. “You didn’t know?” Has Daniel been in the office since they arrived?

“Oh.” Daniel deflates a bit, sitting back down in his chair. “No, it’s fine. I’d rather be here.” Seongwoo can see his ears flop a bit.

“Uh, you really don’t have to. I can do this -”

“It’s _fine_ , Seongwoo,” Daniel scowls, ears turnt up. His tone is forceful and bitter, leaving no room for argument. “I don’t want to go upstairs.” He frowns down at his computer, not looking at Seongwoo.

Seongwoo bawks a bit. He’s _never_ heard Daniel speak like that. Did he say something wrong? “Uh, Daniel -”

“Hey, Seongwoo.” Minhyun pops his head in the office. “Can you help me upstairs? We could use an extra pair of hands.”

Seongwoo looks back at Daniel. He’s still looking down at the computer. Daniel just needs some time to cool off. He’ll be fine. “Sure,” Seongwoo says to Minhyun, getting out of his seat.

He tries to ignore the tear rolling down Daniel’s cheek.  
  


________

  
  


“Okay, but you need to take a week off so you can come visit me! My roommates are dying to meet you. They still don’t believe my baby brother’s a model.”

“Trust me, when I can I will,” Seongwoo replies, taking a swig of his beer. From the laptop, he can see Jiwoo roll her eyes.

“You’ve been saying that for a year now,” she chides. “You promised we’d see _Hamilton_ and eat the spiciest ramen we can find in K-town.”

“Look,” Seongwoo sighs, running his hand through his hair. “I’ll talk to Jonghyun and see if I can take a week off in a month or two.”

“I’m holding you to that. Or no birthday present this year.”

Seongwoo pouts. “But I love the Nike shirts you get me…”

“Then get on a plane and get your ass over to the US,” Jiwoo laughs, sticking her tongue out. Seongwoo reciprocates, making sure to give her the ugliest face he can muster. This has Jiwoo laughing harder. “I hate you,” she wheezes. After a few moments, she checks her phone. “You’ve got me for another 15 minutes before I have to get ready for a lunch meeting.”

“It’s like 8 in the morning there.”

“Beauty takes time.” Seongwoo’s not going to argue with that, and instead takes another swig of his beer. “So what’s going on with you? Anyone I should know about?” Jiwoo asks.

Seongwoo snorts. “Not even close.” He may be surrounded by gorgeous men, but Seongwoo has standards, thank you very much.

“I think you’re the only person on this planet who can be surrounded by gorgeous men and not get any action.”

“Well this gorgeous man doesn’t have enough time to schedule in others,” Seongwoo replies.  “I’m volunteering at the shelter on my days off, so I can’t even go out for lunch.”

Jiwoo perks up a bit. “Oh yeah. How is that going?” She gets a sly smile on her face. “No cute volunteers there?”

“Well, there’s one hot worker, but….I don’t know. I don’t see anything happening there.” Seongwoo shrugs. Sure, Minhyun’s hot and a nice guy, but the more they’re together, the more Seongwoo realizes that they wouldn’t match well. He’s a good co-worker, maybe a friend. But like Jonghyun or Jisung, nothing more than that. Besides, Seongwoo has to make sure the shelter stays away from his private life. It’s just a step to make him more popular. That’s a whole mess just waiting to happen if he were to get involved with someone.

Jiwoo hums. “But no one else?”

For some ungodly reason, the memory of Daniel laughing at “sweet potato” comes to mind. _Why?_ Seongwoo shakes his head, frowning at himself - _definitely not_. “Nah. I’m just focusing on work.”

“Well, I’m proud of you. I hope you get what you want soon.”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo sighs. “Me too.”

 

  
________

  
  


The next time Seongwoo visits the shelter, it’s after Seoul gets eight inches of snow. He’s bundled up in his jacket and hat and really looking forward to sitting inside, under a blanket and watching a movie. Instead, Jaehwan greets him with a bright smile and a shovel. “We’re shoveling!” he announces, and Seongwoo wants to throw him in the snow.

So Seongwoo steps inside for a few warm moments while the Cats put on their snow gear. He’s helping Jinyoung tuck his ears into his winter hat when Daniel comes bopping down the stairs, all smiles and “Hi Seongwoo! Are you excited to go out in the snow? I love when it snows!” Daniel seems to be in a better mood than the last time Seongwoo was at the shelter, and Seongwoo finds himself a bit in relief. Whatever Daniel was upset about seems to have passed.

Boa’s separates the Cats into different groups to tackle the snow, and Seongwoo’s in charge of shoveling the pathway to the shelter. It seems straightforward at first, but one scoop in and Seongwoo realizes he’s not made for shoveling snow.

“You’re not very good at this,” Daehwi comments, watching as Seongwoo struggles bringing the shovel up. When the shovel gets to about his waist, his arms begin shaking and snow falls off back onto the walkway.

Seongwoo frowns. “I haven’t worked out in a while, okay.” It’s a total lie - he’s never worked out in his life.

Daehwi just shrugs and gets back to his section. Seongwoo huffs, now determined to show the snow who’s boss. So he goes for another pile, putting all of his strength into it. Unfortunately, he put a little _too_ much strength into it, and his legs give out from the amount of snow he tries pulling up, sending him backwards and falling into someone.

Lucky for him the body’s more graceful on their feet than he is, and keep Seongwoo from falling on his face. Seongwoo squawks at the snow, then looks up at Daniel, who’s smiling down at him. “We almost lost you there,” he giggles, helping Seongwoo back onto his feet.

“If you want your volunteer to survive another week, I think I need another job.”

Daniel laughs again. “I’ll switch with you. You can help salt the sidewalk.”

“Thank you.” Seongwoo pathetically hands over the shovel and scurries off, trying not to slip. Jihoon and Woojin are whispering to each other when we gets over to them. Woojin laughs at whatever Jihoon says, nodding his head in agreement. Seongwoo frowns. “What?”

Woojin just walks off, and Jihoon shrugs. “It’s a Cat thing. You wouldn’t get it.”

Seongwoo glares at him, but says nothing. He’s hoping if he ignores them, they can finish salting the sidewalk and go back inside. Unfortunately, it proves a more difficult task than shoveling. First, Woojin and Jihoon are of no help. They’re off playing in the snow and throwing snowball at each other. Second, he’s not shoveling anymore. That’s good, because he’s _not_ shoveling and making a fool of himself. It’s bad because Daniel is - and not only is Daniel powering through it, he looks good doing in. He’s not falling over or spilling snow on the walkway like Seongwoo did. That, and have Daniel’s shoulders always been that large?

Seongwoo realizes he’s staring a bit too long at Daniel’s wide shoulders, and quickly turns back to the bag of salt. He must have been staring longer than he realized, because Jihoon and Woojin are snickering at him. Seongwoo frowns, looking over to them. They both have snowballs in their hands. “Don’t even _think_ about it,” he jeers.

“You’re no fun…” Woojin mumbles, but does drop the would-be snowball.

“Snowball fights are for children, not Cats who need to de-ice a sidewalk,” is Seongwoo’s attempt at a clapback as he hands Woojin the back of salt. He turns to focus back on his side of the sidewalk, trying to not get caught on Daniel’s shoulders.

 _Whack_.

He nearly topples over after a snowball hits him square in the back. Seongwoo sharply turns, frowning at Woojin and Jihoon. “What did I tell you?” he yells. Both Cats go a bit wide eyed and quickly point across the yard, where Daniel is.

“Got’cha!” Daniel laughs, hurriedly walking away.

 _War_.

Seongwoo dives towards Jihoon and Woojin, grabbing all the snow he can get his hands on. “You’re in trouble, Daniel!” he calls, trying to make a snowball with his frozen fingers. Once he makes a semi-decent one, he passes it to Woojin. “ _Show no mercy_ ,” he commands, and Woojin immediately grabs it and sprints towards Daniel.

“I thought snowball fights were childish?” Jihoon asks, raising an eyebrow at Seongwoo. Seongwoo chooses to ignore him, instead dropping a snowball into his hands and pushing him to where Woojin and Daniel are throwing snow back and forth.

He builds himself a stack of snowballs, before grabbing them in his arms and hobbling after the Cats. By now, half of the Cats are throwing snow at each other. Seongwoo ducks when Jaehwan chucks a snowball at him, and throws one back, hitting Jaehwan square in the chest. “ _I’m hit!_ ” he dramatically screams, falling down onto the snow in defeat. He almost throws a snowball at Minhyun who’s standing near, but one glare from the older man has Seongwoo thinking it’s better not to.

So he continues trudging through the snow, tossing a few at some of the Cats until he gets close to Daniel, whose attention is all on Woojin and Jihoon. Seongwoo doesn’t even hesitate before pouncing, grabbing Daniel by the back of his jacket and stuffing a snowball down his shirt. Daniel _screams_ , jumping out of Seongwoo’s grasp and dances around, trying to get the snow out.

“Nice one, Seongwoo!” Daehwi calls. Seongwoo flashes a smile towards him, holding a snowball up in victory. It doesn’t last long though, because Daniel rams into him _hard_ and tackles him into the snow.

Now Seongwoo is screaming because he feels snow down _his_ shirt. He tries to move but Daniel has him pinned to the ground, has the _audacity_ to look proud for stuffing snow down Seongwoo’s shirt. “Whoops,” he says, trying to bat innocent eyes.

Seongwoo is still squawking at the snow that’s taking it’s sweet damn time melting, and Daniel is _laughing_ at him and his misery, and Seongwoo is going to kick Daniel’s ass once he’s free. “ _Get off_!” he grunts, trying to move.

Daniel just sticks his tongue out. “Make me.”

Seongwoo will certainly do that once he regains feeling in his arm that’s underneath Daniel’s leg. He tries to move again, but Daniel just pushes against him harder, leaning down over his body so everything’s trapped. Seongwoo curses Daniel’s large build and his own weak ass. He’s definitely going to the gym after this.

He has a few choice words for Daniel, but there’s a call of “Hot chocolate!” from the front door. There’s a blur of movement as the Cats run towards the shelter, and Seongwoo sighs in relief, nudging Daniel. “ _Move_ ,” he whines again. He’s really losing feeling in his lower torso now.

Daniel laughs, but does move off of him. Seongwoo groans, taking a deep breath in. “I think you crushed my ribcage,” he wheezes.

Daniel laughs again, but does help Seongwoo up to his feet. “I didn’t really hurt you, did I?”  

Seongwoo stretches his arms, making sure to wince as he does so. He highly enjoys seeing Daniel’s tail flop a bit. “Nah, I’m good.” Daniel smiles in relief, and Seongwoo sticks his hand out. “Ceasefire?”

“Of course,” Daniel replies, shaking Seongwoo’s hand. Seongwoo smiles back, noticing that some snowflakes are stuck to Daniel’s eyelashes. They look cute, especially against Daniel’s pink cheeks. There are some stuck in his hair too.  

“Hey you two! We have Kittens to feed!” Daniel and Seongwoo look over to where Jaehwan is yelling from the front door.

Daniel waves at Jaehwan, before hooking his arm in Seongwoo’s and pulling him towards the door.  “Let’s warm up,” he suggests, and Seongwoo nods in agreement.  

  
  


________

  
  


Seongwoo slumps against the kitchen counter. “Is that everyone?” he groans, hoping that everyone got their lunch.   

“Yep, we’re good,” Minhyun answers. He finishes pouring coffee into the mugs he laid out on the table, and hand one to Seongwoo, who eagerly picks it up. His fingers are still frozen.  

As he sips his coffee, he watches at the Cats eat their lunch - except Daniel, who’s running around the living space, chasing one of the Kittens. “Daniel’s a bundle of energy, huh?” he mentions.

Jaehwan snorts next to him. “I swear, he’s more of a Kitten than our actual Kittens,” he replies, taking a sip of his coffee. “The body of a twenty-year old, the mind of a five-year old.”

“I could say the same about you,” Minhyun jeers, nudging Jaehwan with this shoulder. The coffee in Jaehwan’s cup spills over a bit, and Jaehwan whines.

Seongwoo blinks. “Daniel’s twenty?” That’s only a couple years younger than him. Daniel’s not twenty. He’s definitely a teenager. Sure, Daniel looked older than a teenager, but he always assumed Cats were kids - not _his_ age.

“Yeah, a week away from twenty-one...” Minhyun replies, handing Jaehwan a napkin. “He’s our oldest Cat, but he’s been with us since he was sixteen.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies, frowning. “And no one’s adopted him yet?”

Minhyun sighs, pursing his lips. “Not a lot of folks want to adopt older Cats.” He looks down at his coffee. Jaehwan sighs next to him. The three go silent, and Seongwoo can _feel_ the hurt. Daniel would be a great Cat for a family. He’s bright, he’s funny, and not at all troublesome. He’d be a great older brother figure to kids. But no one’s adopting him since he’s older. How many families had Daniel seen walk through the shelter and not adopt him?

Suddenly, it makes sense how Daniel acted when the family was here a week ago. He knew that a family wouldn’t be interested in him. He didn’t even bother getting his hopes up. He’s probably seen dozens of families pass him up for years.

Seongwoo feels a bit sick.

They stand in silence until there’s a bit of commotion at the table. “Those two,” Minhyun grumbles, walking over to where Jihoon and Woojin are throwing food at each other. Seongwoo would feel bad, but he has to chuckle when he sees Daniel idly standing by, laughing at the two younger Cats.  

“It sucks.”

Seongwoo stops laughing and turns to Jaehwan. “What sucks?”

“Daniel,” Jaehwan replies. “Well, not _Daniel_ , but, like, his situation.”

Seongwoo hums in agreement. “What happens if he’s not adopted?”

“He ages out and has to leave the shelter.” Jaehwan takes a drink of his coffee.

“Just like that?” Seongwoo frowns. “He just gets kicked out?”

“The government has programs that’ll help him get his own place or board with roommates, but he has to leave. Legally, we can’t keep Cats over 22.” Jaehwan takes another drink, this one a bit more forceful. “By next year he’ll be gone.” He looks down at his coffee, but shakes his head and goes to dump it in the sink.“Niel’s been through a lot. It’s bullshit that he’s going to be kicked out soon if he’s not adopted,” Jaehwan continues

Seongwoo feels sick again. He always thoughts Cats always got adopted. He had no idea that Cats could get kicked out of shelters. But then again, it explains why he never sees older Cats be adopted. And now that he thinks about it, there are a larger number of older Cats among Seoul’s homeless population than younger Cats.

Seongwoo shivers and quickly shakes his head. He really doesn’t want to think about Daniel being homeless. Not at all.  “Is there-”

“Movie time!” Daehwi runs into the kitchen area. “We’re watching a movie!” he says, pulling Daniel and Jaehwan by the arm into the living room. The Cats are pulling pillows and chairs around the television, and Minhyun has an armful of blankets.

Minhyun looks over to Seongwoo. “Hey, you can hang out if you want to watch it too.”

That’s welcome. Seongwoo was just going to go back downstairs to the office once he had finished his coffee. “Is that okay?” he asks. Seongwoo doesn’t want to get into trouble if he should be working.

Minhyun waves his hand. “Boa won’t mind. You’ve put in your work for the day.” From behind him, Seongwoo hears someone snicker. He peaks around to see Woojin and Jihoon.

Seongwoo frowns. Why do they hate him?

Minhyun shushes them, throwing a blanket over their heads before moving on. A few chairs over, Seongwoo sees Daniel fall into a beanbag chair. He catches Seongwoo’s eyes, and motions to the bag next to him, smiling. Seongwoo has to remember to smile back, even though he feel like he shouldn’t smile at Daniel, not when he keeps thinking about _“getting kicked out.”_ But Daniel deserves any kindness he can get, so Seongwoo plops himself next to him, making sure to keep the smile on his face.

“We’re watching _Civil War_!” Daehwi announces, and the Cats whoop in agreement.

Daniel turns to Seongwoo, snickering. “You’re not going to complain the whole time about Spiderman, right?”

Seongwoo snorts back, not expecting another jab in his taste for superheroes. “As long as you don’t complain about Ironman.”

Daniel giggles back, pulling his blanket up further up his chest. “I can do that.”

Minhyun turns the lights off and Daehwi starts the movie. The room becomes quiet, and Seongwoo’s noticing how comfortable the chair he’s sitting in is. He sinks a bit lower. _Civil War_ may be on, but he’ll welcome a nap.

He’s about to close his eyes when he feels a tap on his shoulder. “Here,” Daniel says, holding out his blanket. “It’s a little cold in here.”

Seongwoo looks down at the blanket, shaking his head. “I’m fine. You keep it.” He’s not that cold, though he does wish he had the chance to grab his coffee before sitting down.

Daniel gives him a skeptical look, before scooting his chair closer to Seongwoo’s. “We can share,” he decides. He doesn’t wait for Seongwoo’s response and readjusts his blanket to cover both of their laps. Their legs brush against each other, but Seongwoo’s too tired to pull away. Besides, it gives extra warmth.

Now all warm and toasty, Seongwoo’s definitely going to nap. He gives Daniel a sleepy smile and a sleepy “Thanks,” before closing his eyes.

  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  


He wakes up halfway through the movie to a face full of hair and ears. Daniel’s fallen asleep as well, with his body falling over to Seongwoo’s bean bag and against his shoulder. Seongwoo shrugs and leans his head back down. Daniel probably needs the sleep.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the 200+ kudos!!

**Hwang Minhyun**  
Hey, Seongwoo. Are you free the 10th?  
It’s Daniel’s birthday and we’re having a party for him.  
It’d be great if you could come!  
9:23AM

Uh, I have a shoot that night. When’s the party?

9:25AM

 **Hwang Minhyun**  
We’ll probably do 11AM and do lunch.  
Does that work?  
9:26

Yeah, then I can stay for an hour or two. Do I need to bring anything?  
9:27

 **Hwang Minhyun**  
Nope. Just yourself! See you then.  
9:27

 

___________________

  
  
  


**Kim Jaehwan**  
Hey  
11:42AM

Hey  
11:43AM

Hey  
11:52AM

HEY  
12:08PM

OH MY GOD WHAT.  
12:09PM

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
Daniel’s birthday is Sunday.  
12:09PM

You should come.  
12:09PM

I know, Minhyun texted me.  
12:10PM

 

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
Oh shit really.  
12:11PM

Well anyway, you should come.  
12:12PM

I can be there for a few hours.  
12:13PM

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
Ok, ok. Awesome.  
12:14PM

Thank you!!!!  
12:14PM

You don’t need to thank me lol. I like birthdays.  
12:14PM

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
Niel wants you to come but is too shy to  
ask because he doesn’t think you’d be  
interested.  
12:15PM

So I’m being a good friend and asking you  
behind his back.  
12:15PM

Can’t believe Minhyun stole my idea.  
12:16PM

  


Seongwoo stares down at the phone, re-reading Jaehwan’s message. _Niel wants you to come._ That’s nice of Daniel to want Seongwoo to come to his birthday party. They’ve only known each other for a few months, but Seongwoo supposes Daniel considers him friend. And Seongwoo supposes he would call Daniel a friend. And friends go to birthdays.  

But friends also get gifts for each other.

Seongwoo groans and slumps in the subway seat. If Daniel wants him to go to his birthday party, but Seongwoo should get him a gift. It’d be the nice thing to do. Except Seongwoo is shit at picking gifts for people. He always just ends up bringing a bottle of alcohol and calls it a night.

Maybe he’ll ask Minhyun what Daniel would like. Or Jaehwan. He whines again thinking about it. Hopefully he’ll think of something.

 

 

________

  
  
  


“Hey, uh, what do Cats like for their birthdays?”

“My birthday’s not for another three months, but it’s sweet you’re thinking of me already,” Sungwoon replies. He circles around Seongwoo, sighing as he goes. “Okay, drop the pants. They’re not working.”

Seongwoo gasps, grabbing his chest. “H-here? In front of all these people?”

Minki snorts from the couch, turning the page of his magazine. “I’d rather watch paint dry.”

“I am both relieved and offended you don’t want to watch me get action,” Seongwoo replies as he takes off his pants and hands them to Sungwoon. He’s a bit relieved - they were absolutely hideous.

“So who’s birthday is it?” Sungwoon asks.

“One of the Cats at the shelter. His name’s Daniel.” Seongwoo pauses, frowning at another pair of pants that Sungwoon is pulling form wardrobe. At his face, Sungwoon quickly puts the pants back and goes looking for something else.

“What does the kid like?” Minki asks, tone still bored.

“Well,” Seongwoo replies, racking his brain for what Daniel likes. “He...really likes Spiderman. And jellies, but he can’t eat them anymore. He has cavities.” Seongwoo has to chuckle at that. It’s still cute that Daniel can’t eat jellies. “He also likes manga, he reads them a lot. And he likes playing video games. And-”

“Sounds like you have a good start,” Sungwoon chuckles. He hands Seongwoo over another pair of pants. “You seem to know a lot about him.”

“Well, I guess...but I don’t know what would make a good birthday present.”

Sungwoon hums, watching as Seongwoo puts the pants on. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Maybe a video game then?” Sungwoon offers. “Or a shirt?”

“Get him a dildo and call it a day,” Minki interrupts, flipping another page of his magazine.

The air suddenly becomes difficult to breathe, and Seongwoo chokes a bit, nearly falling over since the pants are just at his knees. Sungwoon catches him and helps him upright. “Easy there!”

Once Seongwoo’s balanced, he sharply turns to Minki, hoping his face his not as red as he feels it is. “I-I can’t...Th-that... _I am not getting that for Daniel!”_

Minki shrugs. “You asked my opinion. He’s a growing boy, no doubt with urges. Trust me -” he gives Seongwoo a smile. “Every Cat wants one, even if they don’t know it.”

Seongwoo has come choice words for Minki because Daniel absolutely does _not_ want a dildo but for a mere second Seongwoo’s mind betrays him and imagines Daniel _with_ a dildo and at first it’s innocent because he’d probably have no idea what it was or maybe laugh at this weird plastic object but if he _did_ and he knew how to _use_ it-

Seongwoo lets out an embarrassing wail to stop himself from going further and decides it’s time pull up his pants and run to get water. He hears Minki laugh after him. “You’ll thank me one day!” he calls.    

  
  
  


________

  
  
  


If Seongwoo looks at one more piece of paper, he may lose his mind.

He lets out a groan of despair as he leans back to lie on the floor. From the couch, Jonghyun tosses him another script. “What about this one?” he asks. “The Goryeo period drama? There’s a few smaller roles.”

“I don’t think I can pull off period dramas my first go ‘round.” Seongwoo sighs, rolling onto his stomach to reach another script on the floor. “You sure I shouldn’t go for this medical drama?”

“It sounds too similar to _Doctor Crush_ , and you don’t want to be caught up in a plagiarism controversy your first time.”

Seongwoo sighs again, dropping his head on the floor. He can’t even find a drama that he can _audition_ for - how the fuck is he going to actually land a role? He and Jonghyun have been through dozens of drama scripts - mainly for minor roles - and are trying to find _something_ that Seongwoo could audition for. However, so many of these dramas are bringing up problems - too similar to other dramas, not enough male roles, or just too _bad_. They’ve been at this for hours, and nothing is jumping out at either of them.

Jonghyun looks towards the clock on the wall. “I think it’s time for lunch,” he decides, standing up. “I have some chicken and kimchi wraps?”

“Anything I can drink with a beer.” Though they do sound delicious. Jonghyun makes great food.

“How about some soda for now?” Jonghyun laughs.

As he walks into the kitchen, Seongwoo sits up from the floor. He’s thankful for the break, but now with his mind off of scripts he’s back onto worrying about Daniel’s birthday. The party’s tomorrow, and he still hasn’t got a gift for him. Sure, he knows no one will hate him if he shows up empty handed, but Seongwoo feels like he should get Daniel something. Daniel has been nothing but sweet to him - he deserves something nice.

Except Seongwoo is inept and coming up with jack shit. But really, what do you get a co-worker who’s kind of a friend but is also a Cat?

Maybe lunch will help him think. He makes his way into the kitchen where Jonghyun is heating up the chicken. Seongwoo’s stomach makes an embarrassingly loud noise of approval, which makes Jonghyun laugh. “They’ll be ready in a minute,” he says. “Can you grab the kimchi from the fridge?”

Seongwoo does, and is about to head to the table when he frowns at the stacks of boxes on the chairs. “Are you moving?” he asks. That’s certainly a lot of boxes.

“Nah, I’m selling or donating a lot. I need the space.”

Seongwoo hums, setting the kimchi down on the table before moving one of the boxes off of a chair and onto the floor. It’s a lot heavier than he thought, and the box tips over and spills out books. “ _Shit_ ,” Seongwoo curses, setting the box upright. “Sorry.”

Jonghyun looks over. “Oh, that’s just some of my old manga. No worries!”

“Just some” has Seongwoo snorting. The box is _huge_ , and no doubt only a fraction of Jonghyun’s collection. Seongwoo takes the books that fell onto the floor and puts them back in the box.  There’s got to be at least fifty books, maybe from the same series. Seongwoo recognizes the title from Jonghyun, it’s one that Jonghyun highly enjoyed. And now that Seongwoo thinks about it, it’s a title that Seongwoo doesn’t recall Daniel having...

“Uh, Jonghyun?” he asks, looking over at his manager. Jonghyun hums in response. “Can I have these?”

Jonghyun turns to him, surprised. “You want my manga?”

“Well, not for me. Daniel reads them, and it’s his birthday tomorrow.” Seongwoo frowns at the box. “Hand-me downs are kind of lame for birthdays but he likes manga.” He looks back over to Jonghyun, who’s now pursing his lips in thoughts. Seongwoo can see Jonghyun’s mind working, trying to figure out who Daniel is. “Daniel, the Cat I work with at the shelter?”

The lightbulb goes off. “Oh, him!” Jonghyun smiles. “Of course, take as many as you want! I was just going to donate them anyway.”

“Awesome,” Seongwoo says, mostly to himself. He starts going through the box, trying to organize the collection. He finds the first few volumes, than a few others that skip a book or two in the middle. “Y’know what, I’ll just take the box.” He looks back over to Jonghyun. “How many were in here?”

“Uh, forty-four, I think?”

“That sounds like a good birthday present,” Seongwoo replies, mostly to himself again. Forty-four volumes of a manga series seems like a good birthday present. And if Daniel doesn’t find them entertaining, at least the shelter gets forty-four books worth of manga. It’s a win-win situation in Seongwoo’s book. “Do you have wrapping paper?”

They go out to the local 7-Eleven since Jonghyun doesn’t have any wrapping paper. Seongwoo is a little too excited to see Spiderman themed wrapping paper, and buys the roll. Wrapping the books into a nicer looking box takes longer than either of them will admit they needed, but Seongwoo has a feeling Daniel’s reaction will be worth the time spent and paper cuts.

  
  


________

  
  
  


“Hey Seong- _Jesus_ what is that?”

Seongwoo has to smile when he holds out the present, even if the weight is straining his arms. “It’s for Daniel!” he answers. “I did a good job wrapping it, right?” The corners are perfectly folded, the tape is neatly holding everything together, and there’s a bow on top. _A fucking bow_. Seongwoo may be a bit too proud of his wrapping job, but it’s the prettiest present he’s ever done (with Jonghyun’s help, of course).

Jaehwan raises an eyebrow at the gift. “What did you get him, a dead body?”

“Arms and legs included.” Seongwoo rolls his eyes and walks past Jaehwan. The present’s pretty heavy, so he sets it down on the front desk, trying not to groan out loud as he does. He _really_ needs to start going to the gym.

“You didn’t have to get him anything,” Jaehwan continues, eyeing up the gift. “I should have told you that. Sorry.”

“I thought something small would be nice,” Seongwoo shrugs.

“' _Small’_ is a candy bar. Whatever _that_ is -” Jaehwan points to the box. “-is large and is going to make the cake I made look bad.”

Seongwoo tries not to show his disappointment at learning Jaehwan made the birthday cake, instead picking the present back up. “Can you help me bring this up?”

Jaehwan agrees, helping guide Seongwoo and the box up the stairs to the living room. “ _Jesus_ , what do you have in here?”

“Manga.” Seongwoo motions for them to stop halfway up the stairs. “It’s a shit ton of manga.”

“Well, this much will keep Daniel busy for the next few days,” Jaehwan answers, huffing himself.

Seongwoo frowns. “There’s like forty books in here.”

“Yeah, he’ll rip through them in a few days.”

Somehow, it’s not surprising that Daniel could read through forty-four books in a few days. It has Seongwoo chuckling a bit as they walk into the living room. All he can imagine is Daniel hiding under a blanket and staying up into the early hours reading; which, according to Minhyun and Jaehwan, is common.

Boa brightly smiles at him when he and Jaehwan make their way in the room. “Hi Seongwoo!” she greets, ears perked. “I’m glad you could come!” She looks down at the present. “Do you want to put that on a table somewhere?”

Seongwoo’s about to agree - anything really to put it down - but Jaehwan’s pushing him along past Boa. “He can give it to Niel!” Jaehwan he tells her, before pointing over to the kitchen area. “He’s over there.”

Seongwoo doesn’t ask questions, just hurries to the kitchen to drop the present off. He catches Daniel speaking to Daehwi and Woojin, all smiles and animated hands. He’s wearing a pink party hat that’s a bit too small for him, and it has Seongwoo chuckling a bit. It catches Daehwi’s attention, who sits up a bit straighter when he sees him. “Oh, hi Seongwoo!” he says.

Daniel’s ears perk up and his head whips around, eyes wide in surprise. Seongwoo waits for him to speak, but Daniel just stares at him, cheeks turning a bit pink. “Uh,” Seongwoo starts, wondering if maybe this was a bad idea. “Happy birthday?” He holds out the present to Daniel.

The Cat looks down at the gift, and after a few more seconds something clicks and Daniel jumps up from out of his chair. “ _Thank you!_ ” he says, grabbing the present. He has a wide smile now. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“Uh, yeah. Minhyun and Jaehwan invited me.” For some reason, Woojin snorts at Seongwoo’s words. It has him frowning. “What?”

“Hey Daehwi, let’s go get cake,” Woojin says instead, ignoring Seongwoo. Daehwi is quick to get up from his seat, and pulls Woojin by the sleeve towards to living room.

Seongwoo really has to wonder what he’s done to Woojin that warrants his sass. Shaking his head, he turns back to Daniel, but is alarmed by the Cat’s expression. Daniel looks a bit panicked, and Seongwoo is really thinking he shouldn’t have brought the manga. Maybe he overthunk bringing Daniel a present and this is out of line, or he really misread them being friends, “You uh, don’t have to accept the present if you don’t want to…”

“O-oh, no no no,” Daniel answers quickly, shaking his head. “It’s just…” His voice trails off, and his cheeks get a bit pink again. After a moment, he smiles again. “Thanks for coming. And you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Yeah, well -” Seongwoo shrugs. “It’s your birthday. You deserve something special.” Was that too cheesy? Definitely too cheesy. Why is Seongwoo even saying these things to Daniel?  He should be comforting Daniel, not sending him cheesy pick up lines. But he’s not flirting with Daniel, no no no, that’s not it. He’s just being nice. Did Daniel take it as flirting? Seongwoo hopes not because that’s definitely _not_ what he meant to do.

Thankfully, Daniel doesn’t seem to pay the words any mind, instead staring at the present. “Can I open it?” he asks, and Seongwoo has to chuckle when his fingers are already tearing the paper apart. Daniel takes the laugh as a yes, and hastily rips the paper. He pauses briefly when he gets to the bow, but cracks a smile and puts it on top of Seongwoo’s head. “Keep it safe!” he tells Seongwoo. A few moments later and Daniel’s taking the top off the box, eyes going wide at the stacks of books packed inside.

“I, uh, didn’t see you reading this series, so I thought you might like it,” Seongwoo says quickly.

Daniel is quiet, but starts going through the box, pulling out the books as he goes. “This is a lot,” he mumbles softly, sounding a bit in awe.

“Forty-four,” Seongwoo replies. He’s now realizing that forty-four books may have been too much, and he feels his face go a bit red. Really, who the fuck gets someone forty-four books?

But Daniel just smiles at him. “Thanks, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo feels his face get even redder because Daniel looks  _happy_ and maybe Seongwoo did do this whole present thing right. "You're welcome."

Daniel keeps smiling at him, eventually giggling when his eyes look up to the bow he placed on Seongwoo’s head. “It looks good on you,” he comments.

“I make anything look good on me,” Seongwoo snorts. He throws one of the bow’s strands over his shoulder and hunches over, striking a pose that would get his ass kicked by any photographer. But it has Daniel laughing, and that’s all Seongwoo focuses on.

“Hey you two - oh, nice bow Seongwoo, really suits you - it’s cake time!” Jaehwan bounces into the kitchen to grab Daniel and pull him away. Seongwoo follows, and stands by Minhyun while the Cats gather around Daniel and the cake set up in the middle of the living room. “Okay everyone!” Jaehwan shouts over the voices. “ _And-_ ”

Everyone starts singing, except Jihoon and Woojin are blowing confetti at Daniel. Daniel just smiles through the birthday song, tail wagging along to the words. “Make a wish, Daniel!” Daehwi shouts before the song is over. Daniel laughs, but closes his eyes and then blows out the candles. As soon as they’re out Woojin and Jihoon pounce, sticking their fingers in the cake frosting and smearing it on Daniel’s face. Daniel yelps in surprise, but doesn’t have a chance to run since Jaehwan flanks him from behind, also smearing frosting on his face.

Seongwoo laughs at it all, then a little harder when he see Minhyun looking a bit distraught at the messy chaos. Minhyun frowns at him. “I’ll be the one cleaning all this up,” he mumbles.

“I’ll help,” Seongwoo offers, then walks over to the cake and dips his finger in. Daniel’s pinned by Jaehwan and Woojin, and goes wide eyed when Seongwoo gets closer.

“Don’t-” But Daniel’s cut off when Seongwoo bops his nose with the frosting.

“ _Got’cha_ ,” Seongwoo sings, like how Daniel spoke to him a few days ago with the snowball. Daniel laughs, and tries to get out of Jaehwan and Woojin’s grasp before Boa’s calling for a truce.

The hour Seongwoo promised himself goes by in a blur. Seongwoo ends up eating three pieces of cake that is _a lot_ better than he expected. He asks Jaehwan what he did, but Jaehwan just winks, telling him “Magicians never reveal their secrets.” Seongwoo then smears frosting on his face.

Jinyoung suggests the group play Mafia. Seongwoo hasn’t played in years, so he watches the first round, delighted when everyone gangs up on Jaehwan. The next round he’s in, and everyone gangs up on _him_. Daniel leads the coup in his pink birthday hat and frosting still smeared on his cheek, and Seongwoo’s laughing too hard to voice his innocence. He gets killed off and Daehwi ends up winning the game as the Mafia.

He’s waiting for his turn at karaoke when his phone buzzes, his alarm reminding him it’s time to go. He pouts - he was actually having a good time. So Seongwoo gets up and says his goodbyes to Minhyun and Jaehwan who thank him for coming. There’s a twinkle in Minhyun’s eye that Seongwoo doesn’t trust, but ignores it and tells them he’ll see them Tuesday.

All the Cats wave to him as he goes, except Daniel who pops up from his chair and meets him at the door. “I’ll walk you out,” he says, and goes down the stairs. Seongwoo follows.

Once downstairs, he says goodbye to Boa, then grabs his jacket. “I had fun,” he tells Daniel, who’s still got his goofy smile on his face.

“I did, too.” Daniel beams brighter, somehow possible. “You’ll be back on Tuesday?”

“Yep, bright and early.” He smiles back. Daniel is still watching him, almost expectantly. _Is he waiting for something?_ Like a hug? Seongwoo supposes they’re friends now and friends give hugs but is _that_ what Daniel’s waiting for? He means, hugs are fine but he doesn’t want to overstep boundaries. The only thing Seongwoo can think of that is an appropriate goodbye for a Cat is a pat on the head. He’s seen Taehyun give Sungwoon them on occasion and they’re just friends.

So Seongwoo reaches out to stroke Daniel’s head, right next to his ear. “Happy Birthday,” he says again with a smile. He momentarily panics when Daniel’s eyes go wide in surprise, but the look is quickly gone and replaced with the smile again.

“Thanks, Seongwoo,” Daniel replies, and Seongwoo tries to ignore the tightening in his chest. Daniel’s just too nice for his own good.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

Jisung snorts from next to him. “Don’t look now, but Cha Eunwoo’s walking this way.”

“I’m not a school girl who gets all red and tongue-tied in front of her crush -”

“Hi Seongwoo,” Eunwoo greets when he walks out of one of the meeting room doors.

 _He knows my name_.

Seongwoo gives a pathetic wave as Eunwoo walks by, not even able to form words. Eunwoo’s wearing a suit and tie, looking _wonderful_ in those pants, and he’s got a pretty smile his face and Seongwoo may be in love. Once Eunwoo is down the hall waiting for the elevators and out of earshot, Seongwoo moans, sliding down the chair he’s in. “That was _awful_!” he wails, hands covering his face. “I couldn’t _speak_!”

“It was more graceful than the time you spilt yogurt on yourself.”

“It only has a bit of yogurt and I was hungover, shut _up_.” Seongwoo pushes Jisung with his shoulder.

“Speaking of which,” Jisung says, rubbing his shoulder. “You haven’t shown up hungover in months. Liver finally catching up to you?”

Seongwoo snorts. “Nah, I haven’t been going out much. Between this and the shelter, I’m whooped when I get home.” It’s true - the Cats have Seongwoo running on all cylinders. By the time he gets home, he’s crashing - even if the sun is still up.

Jisung hums. “Maybe this is good. I can’t be working for an alcoholic.”

“Yeah, but my sex life is suffering.”

“I really didn’t need to know that.” Jisung fake gags. “Keep it in your pants.”

“That’s the _issue_ ,” Seongwoo whines, leaning his head on Jisung’s shoulder. “I’ve been staying in my pants.” Thinking back, the last time he fooled around was before he even started at the shelter. Mister tall, dark, handsome and something with an “H.” He’s really regretting not getting at least a number.

“Okay, we’re moving on from this conversation.” Jisung gets up from his seat and walks across the room, ignoring Seongwoo who whines at his lost of head support.

“I’m a healthy young man who has urges!” Seongwoo calls after Jisung. He pouts when Jisung continues to ignore him. _Some friend_. He sulks in his seat, looking over to the doors of the office building. Eventually he’ll be called to speak to a company designer about an upcoming advertisement. He’s hoping it’s soon - he really doesn’t want to sit feeling sorry for his lack of sex life.

After a few minutes of sulking about his lack of sex life, one of the office doors opens. Seongwoo sits up in his chair, but sulks back down when he sees Dongho walk through the door.

He hears Dongho snort. “Sorry if I disappointed you.”

“Sorry,” Seongwoo replies, turning a bit red. “I’ve just been waiting for Kyungho to go over some projects.”

“You might be a while.” Dongho sets folders and binders in his hands down on the table in the middle of the waiting room. “Kyungho just got a call from music about a delay in the new girl group’s album production.”

Seongwoo groans. _Perfect_. Of course Kyungho would also be working with the new girl group. Now his attention will be split between the actors and musicians. He really was doing Seongwoo a favor (well, Jonghyun really) by helping him find projects. Looks like that’s not going to happen in the near future.

While he sits in self misery, Dongho takes a seat a few chairs down from him. “If it helps, he did have a stack of papers on his desk with your name on it. Scripts, maybe?”

“Oh,” Seongwoo says, a bit surprised. That was nice of Dongho. “Thanks.”

Dongho shrugs, then pulls out his phone. The two fall into silence, and Seongwoo tries not to run from his seat and get Jisung. Dongho still scares the shit out of him, but it was really nice of him to mention the scripts. It makes Seongwoo calm down a bit, because a script for an advertisement means commercials, and commercials means getting his face on television, which is one stop closer to acting. That, and he really needs the cash.

“So, I heard you had a good time at the birthday party.”

Seongwoo jumps a bit at Dongho’s voice, then whips his head in surprise. “Party?” he asks, confused.

Dongho looks up from his phone. “Yeah, Daniel’s birthday party? At the shelter?”

 _Daniel’s birthday_ ? “Uh,” Seongwoo replies, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. “Uh...I _guess_?”

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “You _‘guess’_ you had a good time?”

“N-no, no! I had a good time!” Seongwoo says quickly. “It was fun!” He hopes Dongho can’t hear the fear in his voice. Why is he asking him about Daniel’s birthday? How did he even know he was there?

Dongho must see how confused Seongwoo is, because he’s snickering and then waving his phone. “Minhyun told me.”

 _Oh_. He forgot Minhyun and Dongho knew each other. He guesses that explains how Dongho knew about Daniel’s birthday.

“He said you had a good time,” Dongho continues, looking back down at his phone. “I wanted to bring Seonho and Guanlin, but we were out of town. Do you like the shelter?”

Seongwoo blinks, a bit stunned. Is...Dongho making small talk? With _him_? For all the years Seongwoo’s kind of known or heard about Dongho, he didn’t think Dongho was that open. Seongwoo can’t help but wonder why Dongho’s all of a sudden speaking to him.  

Dongho looks back up to him, and Seongwoo realizes he should answer. “Oh, uh...yeah. I like it.” What else does Dongho want to know? “Uh...everyone’s nice. Except Jihoon and Woojin, I think they hate me.”

Dongho snorts at this. “They’re troublemakers, but harmless. I doubt they hate you.” He gives Seongwoo a look Seongwoo can’t pick up. After a few seconds, he asks, “Minhyun says you and Daniel get along well together.”

“Oh.” Seongwoo straightens up at that. “Really?” Well, he can admit that he and Daniel work well together. They’ve been rather productive doing the shelter’s social media stuff these past few months. That, and Daniel helps him when Seongwoo’s with the other Cats. He looks to Dongho and nods his head. “Yeah, we do.”

Dongho’s still giving him a look, which makes Seongwoo frown. “What-”

One of the meeting room door opens, and Kyungho pops his head out. “Seongwoo, come on in!” he says, looking a bit flustered. Seongwoo immediately gets up from his chair. He takes a few steps, before realizing he probably should say something to Dongho. “Uh,” he turns back. “See you later?”

Dongho purses his lips, but does give Seongwoo a nod. “Yeah, see you later.”

  
  


________

  
  
  


Seongwoo is being suffocated under a blanket when he feels a tap on his body.

“Seongwoo?” It’s Daniel, who sounds a bit concerned. “Are you okay?”

Seongwoo tries to answer, but Woojin’s still sitting on his lungs and all that comes out is a puff of air.

“He’s fine,” Jihoon answers. He’s wrapped himself around Seongwoo’s body to keep the blanket over him and certainly does not know if Seongwoo if fine or not. “What’cha need?”

Seongwoo tries moving from underneath them, but just makes things worse when Woojin is shuffled down his body and now sits on his stomach. He makes a mental note to ask Boa for a raise of his non-existent paycheck.

“I was going to ask if he wanted to help hang up some flyers but…” Seongwoo hears Daniel trail off. “If he’s busy I can do it myself.”

With a strength he didn’t know he possessed, Seongwoo rolls himself over and knocks Jihoon and Woojin off of him. He pops his head out from the blanket, gasping for air. “ _Save me_ ,” he wheezes to Daniel.

Daniel, of course, starts laughing. “Okay, you can help with the flyers.” He reaches down and helps untangle Seongwoo from the blanket. “What were you doing?”

“He was playing with us,” Woojin says, pouting now that Seongwoo was released from their grasp.

“They were trying to kill me,” is what Seongwoo says, using Daniel’s body to climb back on his feet. He’s a bit disoriented from the lack of oxygen, and thankful Daniel’s sturdy enough to not collapse under his weight.

Daniel giggles again. “Well I need to steal him for a bit. He’ll be back after.”

Seongwoo tries not to groan at the thought of coming back and being the punching bag again for Woojin and Jihoon. He already feels bruised. “Remind me to bring protective padding next time I’m here,” he tells Daniel as they walk downstairs to get their coats.

“I think we may have bubble wrap somewhere.” Daniel hands Seongwoo his jacket. “But that means they like you if they’re rough housing.”

Seongwoo snorts. “I’d hate to see what they’d do if they didn’t like me.”

“Well, one of the last volunteers did stop showing up out of the blue…” Daniel laughs when Seongwoo playfully bumps his shoulder.

The two put on their jackets and head out. Even if the sun’s still up, tt hasn’t warmed up since December and Seongwoo finds himself shivering as soon as he steps outside. He should have brought a warmer jacket. “Where are we headed?”

“Just around Myeongdong, and maybe Namdaemun if we have enough flyers left.” Daniel reaches into the backpack he’s carrying and pulls out the flyers. “Ta-da!”

It’s a brightly colored flyer advertising the shelter’s upcoming charity event, with a collage of pictures on it. Seongwoo’s surprised to see himself in one of the pictures - it’s from Daniel’s birthday party, when the group was playing mafia and everyone was suspecting him. He smiles at the picture, especially at Daniel who’s aggressively pointing at Seongwoo with a large smile on his face. He looks over to Daniel. “You guys really wanted a picture of me on here?” he jokes.

“Of course!” Daniel then pauses for a second. “Is that okay?” A panicked look spreads on his face. “I never asked you! I’m sorry!”

Seongwoo laughs, shaking his head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” It’s not that big of a picture. Besides, someone may even recognize him. That model they saw that one time on that advertisement. Jisung will be happy. And if Jisung’s happy, so is Seongwoo.

He takes the stack from Daniel. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Daniel smiles at him. “Alright!”

  
  


________

  
  
  


_Gurgle_.

Yep, that was Seongwoo’s stomach.

Daniel turns from where he’s hanging a flyer, surprised at first, then dissolving into giggles. “Hungry?”

Seongwoo can feel his face heat up. “I didn’t eat lunch,” he mumbles. His morning photoshoot took longer than scheduled, so he ran from the shoot to the shelter for his shift. There were some chips that he and the Cats were munching on, not enough to keep him full. And he and Daniel have been walking around Myeongdong for almost three hours, so those chips are long gone.

“Oh,” Daniel replies, a bit saddened at first but then brightens up. “I know this good restaurant nearby. Do you like barbeque?” Daniel asks. His ears are perked and an excited smile appears on his face.

Seongwoo chuckles. Looks like they’re getting barbeque. “Let’s finish this up and we can go grab some food.”

Daniel nods back and skips ahead a few stores, now rushed to finish. It has Seongwoo chuckling again. Next time he’ll pack some snacks for the two of them. He needs all the energy he can to try and keep up with Daniel. When Daniel run into a shop at the corner of the street, Seongwoo moves his pace a bit faster to catch up. He finished his pile of flyers a block or two ago, so maybe he’ll take a few of Daniel’s and -

“ _Get out_! No animals allowed!” a woman’s voice yells over the crowd, bitter and hateful and Seongwoo’s heart sinks.

 _Daniel_.  

His feet start moving before his mind catches up, running to the shop Daniel entered just seconds ago. In the middle of the shop, an old woman is still yelling, swatting her hand at Daniel. Seongwoo’s taken aback at her reaction, and quickly pushes past some staring shoppers to pull Daniel behind him and away from her hands. “H-hey!” he shouts over her yelling. “Leave him alone!”

The woman scowls at him. “He has to leave.”

“What for? He wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

She points a finger at Daniel. “I don’t let wild animals in my shop.”

 _Red_ is what Seongwoo sees at her words. “He is _not_ a wild animal,” he growls, voice getting louder. “He’s a Cat.”

He feels Daniel pull at his jacket. “Seongwoo, it’s fine. Let’s go,” he pleads softly.

Seongwoo whips his head around, shocked. “You can’t just let her talk to you like that!”

Daniel shakes his head, pulling at his hand. “Forget it,” he says, but no, Seongwoo is not just going to “forget it.” He has some choice words for this woman, and maybe for all of the people who were ignoring her haressing Daniel. Absolutely he’s going to make a scene, but then Daniel’s lowering his gaze, looking at the floor. Seongwoo now sees how red the tips of his ears are, how his tail is tucked between his legs.

Daniel’s embarrassed, and all he wants to do is leave.

There’s a moment of silence between the three of them, no one wanting to make the first move. Eventually, Seongwoo sighs. This isn’t a battle he’s going to win. So, he turns his back on the old woman without a second glance and tucks Daniel under an arm, walking him out of the shop. He makes sure to send a glare at a group of shoppers who were just standing my as they leave.

Daniel still has his ears and tail tucked, so Seongwoo walks them down a street before spotting a bench. “Come on,” he says. He sits Daniel down on the bench, hoping to keep Daniel calm and try to keep _himself_ from blowing a fuse.

Seongwoo lets out a groan of frustration and begins pacing by the bench. He’s too wound up to sit.  He’s just so _angry_. How could that woman do that to Daniel? _Daniel_ , of all Cats? A Cat that literally giggles everywhere he goes and is nothing but polite and kind to everyone.

“I’m sorry...”

Seongwoo pauses his steps and blinks at Daniel. “For what?”

“Making you upset…” he mumbles, slouching down further on the bench. His ears are still tucked.

“You didn’t make me upset,” Seongwoo replies, frowning. Does Daniel really think he made him upset?

“You’re angry.”

“Yeah, but...but not at _you_.” Seongwoo sits down next to Daniel on the bench. “I’m angry at _her_ and what she said to you.”

“You don’t have to be angry,” Daniel says, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s not the worst I’ve ever gotten.”

“You’ve gotten that before?” That makes Seongwoo’s head spin. Sure, Cats are still being incorporated into everyday society, but they’re not _new_. They’re not _foreign_  There’s Cats everywhere, and yet still people are prejudice.

“More or less.” Daniel shrugs again. “Some people just don’t like Cats.”

“But you weren’t doing anything _wrong_! That’s…” He groans, running his hands through his hair. “That’s so _stupid_.” Seongwoo feels himself getting angry again. “People just don’t like you because you’re a _Cat_?”

Daniel chuckles, darker than Seongwoo’s ever heard him laugh. “How did you think I landed in the shelter?” he mumbles, almost too low for Seongwoo to hear.

Almost.

The world becomes silent. Seongwoo feels like he’s sinking underwater, ears ringing too loud and lungs forgetting how to breath. It seems stupid, but it never crossed Seongwoo’s mind that Daniel started living at the shelter because someone didn’t like him - or didn’t _want_ him - even though that’s the exact reason for shelters. They house Cats who don’t have homes or have been abandoned by their owners.

 _Abandoned_.

Daniel had to have an owner at one point. Minhyun told him that Daniel’s been with the shelter since he was 16. So he must have had a family that he was with before then. A family that didn’t want him anymore.

Seongwoo then thinks back to what Jaehwan said to him weeks ago. _Niel’s been through a lot._

 _Fuck_ , Seongwoo thinks. _What’s Daniel been through?_

His ears are still ringing and he’s just _now_ remembering to breath and he feels like he’s going to throw up and he should _say something_ to Daniel but no words are coming out and he feels like an idiot sitting on this bench next to Daniel and not speaking but his brain still can’t process what’s happening what’s _happened_ and all he can do is stare ahead of him because he can’t even look at Daniel and -

“I...I’m so sorry,” he eventually gets out. He wills himself to look at Daniel, who’s thankful looks like he’s taking this a lot better than Seongwoo is.

Somehow, Daniel gives him a soft, sad smile.“Nah, I shouldn’t have brought it up. I made things uncomfortable.” He sits back up in the bench. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I…” Seongwoo’s not sure what else there is to say. Daniel’s passing this off as no big deal, but Seongwoo can’t shake the sinking feeling he has in his stomach. He never once thought about what Daniel might have gone through, and now he feels like absolute _shit_ because it must be so much worse than he could imagine. At least bad enough to make Daniel, bright eyed and smiley Daniel, feel bitter. In the end, nothing comes to mind, so he just gives another soft “I’m so sorry, Niel.”

Daniel shakes his head again. “You don’t have to-” He stops midway through his sentence, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. After a few seconds of silence, he turns to Seongwoo. “You called me, Niel.”

Seongwoo blinks “Oh.” He guesses he did. It just came out, Seongwoo didn’t mean to call Daniel by “Niel.” Does Daniel not like it? Does he need his permission? Jaehwan and Minhyun call Daniel “Niel” but they’re closer to him than Seongwoo is.  “D-do you not want me to? ‘Cause I get it, it’s your nickname, and I don’t have to call you that, I can just call you Daniel, and I should have asked first or-”

“No, no,” Daniel says quickly, shaking his head. “You can! You can call me Niel if you want.” Seongwoo must not look convinced, because Daniel’s chuckling at  him. “I like it when people call me Niel,” he assures, and a shy smile creeps on his face.

Well, at least he didn’t screw things up even more. He gives Daniel an “Okay,” before the two fall in into silence. Daniel’s still giving him the soft smile, a soft _pretty_ smile, but instead of smiling back or doing something _normal_ , Seongwoo ducks his head and stares down at the pavement.

This is getting out of hand.

Seongwoo wants to smack himself. He really needs to stop being so awkward around Daniel. It’s just _Daniel_ for God’s sake, not some big wig director or photographer or someone Seongwoo should be nervous around. Not that Daniel makes him nervous, no, that’s not it. Daniel just…catches him off guard? Makes him feel...out of his comfort zone? Nah, that’s not any better either. Giving up, he coughs to force himself to say something. _Anything_. “People, uh, used to call me ‘Ong’ in school,” he says breaking the silence. He doesn’t even know if Daniel cares about his own nicknames, but it’s better than sitting in silence. “I hated it.”

Daniel cocks his head, ears twitching. “Why?”

Seongwoo shrugs, scrunching his face at the memory. “Ong’s a unique last name, but I’d rather be called Seongwoo.”

Daniel nods at his words, then smiles. “Okay then,” he replies, playfully bumping Seongwoo’s shoulder. “I’ll just call you Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo chuckles. “You already just call me Seongwoo.” He bumps Daniel’s shoulder back, which makes him giggle. It’s good to see Daniel giggling again, and Seongwoo feels a bit relieved. Hopefully they can just forget about earlier. Speaking of which... “So, how about that barbecue?”

Daniel beams.

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YA'LL SO CUTE WITH YOUR COMMENTS I LUV YOU ALL <3

 

 

“I’m so hungry, I could eat an entire cow,” Daniel whines. He keeps flipping through the menu, stuck between four different meats.

From across the table, Seongwoo chuckles. “How about pork belly and the beef?” He looks over at Daniel, who’s peeking at him from behind the menu. All Seongwoo can see is his ears and eyes.

"Can we also get fried rice?” Daniel asks in a small, unsure voice. Seongwoo bites his cheek to keep from squealing because _dammit_ is that the cutest thing he’s ever seen. He nods his head, not trusting his voice. Daniel smiles and wiggles in his seat, happy at all the food their getting.

This was a bad idea.

The waiter comes and takes their order. Seongwoo is quick to order himself a beer, because he doesn’t know if he can handle dinner with Daniel sober. Especially not when Daniel’s giving Seongwoo _that_ smile. The waiter turns to Daniel and asks him what he’d like to drink, and Seongwoo baulks when Daniel says he’ll have red wine. He then remembers that Daniel’s of age to drink. “I uh, didn’t know you like wine,” Seongwoo says when the waiter walks away.

Daniel nods. “Minhyun gave me some when I turned nineteen, and I’ve like it ever since.” He tilts his head. “Do you like wine?”

“Not really,” Seongwoo replies, scrunching his nose. “I don’t like sweet drinks.”

“Red wine isn’t sweet! It’s dry. You might like it.” Seongwoo doesn’t have time to protest when the waiter comes back with the drinks. Daniel asks the waiter for another glass, and pours half of his wine into it. He pushes his wine glass to Seongwoo. “Try it!”

And of course Seongwoo isn’t going to tell Daniel no, so he takes the glass and sips some of the wine out. He immediately regrets it, because the wine is _warm_ and tastes like absolute dirt. “ _Blah_ ,” he frowns, shaking his head. “You _like_ that?”

“It’s an acquired taste,” Daniel admits with a laugh. “But yeah, I like it.” Seongwoo frowns down at his glass. He brings it up to his mouth again and takes another sip. Yep, still warm. Still tastes like dirt. Daniel laughs again. “Don’t drink it if you don’t like it.”

Seongwoo gasps, putting a hand on his chest. “You gave me half of your spoils, and I will absolutely drink all that you’ve given me.” He smiles to himself when he drinks the rest of the wine in one shot - not at the taste (still dirt), but at Daniel giggling. He’s really starting to like Daniel’s laugh.

The waiter stops by again, this time with their meat. Daniel’s already putting the meat on the grill, tail wagging and ears alert, and Seongwoo laughs at him. “The grill’s not hot enough yet.”

“I’m just getting it ready!” Daniel answers, hastily spreading the meat on the grill.

Seongwoo laughs again and takes the tongs from Daniel’s hands. “How about I grill the meat?” Daniel pouts, but does let Seongwoo cook. Thankfully, the fried rice comes and Daniel’s attention is now on taking as big of a spoonful as he can.

“How’s your job going?”

Seongwoo looks up from the meat. “My job?” he repeats, surprised Daniel’s asking him about his other job. It’s not they _never_ talk about his modeling, but Seongwoo just makes it a habit to keep the two jobs seperate. “Uh, a bit stressful right now, honestly.”

Daniel tilts his head, stuffing a spoonful of rice in his mouth. “Why’s that?”

Seongwoo tries not to chuckle at Daniel’s puffed out cheeks. “I’ve been looking for drama roles, but nothing’s come up yet.”

“Oh,” Daniel replies, swallowing. He smiles. “You’ll find something soon. I’m sure of it.”

“That means a lot coming from my number one fan.” Seongwoo smiles back at Daniel, and takes delight when Daniel’s ears turn a bit red, and he shakes his head. Seongwoo frowns, playful. “You’re not my fan anymore?” He pouts his lips, and Daniel gets wonderfully flustered.

“N-no, no! I am!” he says quickly. He still looks a bit panicked, but relaxes when Seongwoo starts laughing. Now Daniel is the one pouting. “Don’t tease me,” he whines, but Seongwoo catches the twitch of his lips, the pink still on his ears. Seongwoo definitely enjoys teasing Daniel.

Y’know. As a friend.

The waiter comes to check on them, and gives Daniel another glass of wine. Seongwoo’s still nursing his beer, but he does crane his neck when Daniel takes a drink. The Cat catches his eye. “Did you want some more?”

“Oh, no that’s fine -” But Daniel’s already pouring half of his drink into Seongwoo’s wine glass.

“So,” Daniel starts. “What’s your favorite color?”

 “Uh.” What _is_ Seongwoo’s favorite color? “Uh, blue maybe?” Blue’s nice, and looks good on him. So why not. “What’s yours?”

“I like red,” Daniel answers. That actually makes sense, as Seongwoo thinks back to all the times Daniel’s worn a red shirt. Even now, Daniel’s wearing a red, plaid shirt that fits well on his broad shoulders -

Seongwoo coughs and quickly takes a drink of wine. He really shouldn’t be thinking of Daniel’s shoulders.

“What’s your favorite movie?”

“I guess any action movie.” Seongwoo smirks. “Is yours _Spiderman_?”

“One of them,” Daniel giggles. “But I really like watching animated movies. Do you like _Disney_ movies?”

“I’ve had _The Lion King_ memorized since I was seven.”

As the meat cooks and they drink their wine, Daniel keeps asking questions, about Seongwoo’s favorite foods, favorite music, favorite celebrities, and Seongwoo asks Daniel back. It’s nice, because Seongwoo realizes that even though he’s known Daniel for almost three months, there’s so much about Daniel he doesn't know.  And Daniel seems genuinely interested in hearing about Seongwoo’s life - about his sister in New York, about how he got into modeling, how he met Jisung so many years ago. The conversation eventually gets back to how Daniel wanted to be a dancer, and Seongwoo catches how Daniel’s tone changes, how his eyes get sad and tone gets darker.

“Y’know, I have a commercial shoot in Myeongdong next week” Seongwoo says, quick to change the conversation in case Daniel gets uncomfortable. “Would you want to come?”

Daniel blinks. “Come?”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo replies. “Like, come and see the set, the behind the scenes stuff.”

Daniel keeps blinking. “Is that okay?”

“Definitely. Not a problem!” Honestly, Seongwoo’s not sure if it’s okay or not, but technically Jisung’s not on the staff during his shoots and lets himself through security anyway. But Daniel may want to see what it’s like behind the scenes of commercial, and now he’s slowly breaking into an excited smile and his ears are turning up and yep, Seongwoo is going bringing Daniel on the set. “It’ll be fun.”

Daniel doesn’t answer right away, but eventually he nods, his shy smile appearing and he’s wiggling in his seat again and Seongwoo thinks his heart may burst from his chest from the cuteness. He quickly downs his glass of wine, but then Daniel starts _pouting_ at the grill. “Why is it taking so _long_?”

“It has to cook all the way through,” Seongwoo chuckles.

Apparently Daniel does like his answer, because he’s lying himself on the table, angrily staring at the meat. “Cook _faster_!” he whines, and Seongwoo’s beginning to suspect Daniel’s already feeling the wine. Not that he can say he minds watching Daniel whine.

After another minute, the beef and pork look ready, and Daniel’s quick to pick a piece up with this chopsticks. “Careful, you’ll burn yourself,” Seongwoo chides. He watches closely to make sure Daniel blows on the beef before putting it in his mouth.

“ _Yum_ ,” Daniel groans. “I haven’t had good barbecue in ages.” He quickly picks up another piece of meat, and closes his eyes and moans from the back of this throat when he eats it.

Seongwoo chokes.

Daniel startles. “Are you okay?” he asks as Seongwoo coughs. Seongwoo can’t answer him since he’s having trouble breathing and is a bit preoccupied replaying the sound Daniel just made in his mind. He’s going to have that look and moan stuck in his memory and Seongwoo really did not need that. And Daniel, of course, has no idea what he just did. He’s just sitting there, looking concerned, as if he didn’t just give Seongwoo a heart attack and possibly a hard on.

Not that Seongwoo has a hard on, oh no, it’s just a figure of speech, he’s not actually _hard_ he’s just surprised that’s all. Not that Daniel moaning while eating could possibly give Seongwoo a hard on, because that’s absolutely not what’s happening right now but there Daniel goes picking up another piece of meat and chewing on it and _oh my god_ he’s moaning again why is Daniel doing this -

This was definitely a bad idea.

Seongwoo flags down the waiter. “Can we get some more wine?”

 

 

_________

 

 

Daniel groans in his seat. “I’m so _full_ ,” he whines, bringing his head down on the table.

Seongwoo chuckles, feeling the same way. He can’t eat another bite, but there’s one bite of pork belly left. “There’s...one piece left.” He reaches down with his chopsticks to pick the last piece up, but misses.

He shouldn’t have drunk the wine.

Daniel watches him, giggling as Seongwoo fails to pick up the piece. His cheeks have turned pink as dinner went on, and Seongwoo suspects he looks similar. Somewhere in the sober part of his brain, he hopes that Boa doesn’t kill him for getting Daniel drunk.

After a few more sad seconds, Seongwoo finally picks up the pork. He holds it up in victory and Daniel cheers. “I did it!” Seongwoo yells, a bit too loud for the restaurant, but nothing is going to stop him from celebrating.

And by celebrating, he means holding the chopsticks out for Daniel.

“Here!” he says.

Daniel’s eyes go a bit wide, and he shakes his head. “Oh, no. I’m full. You have it.”

Seongwoo frowns back. “No, this is for _you_ .” He holds the meat out further. “You have it.” But Daniel just giggles and he’s not eating the pork, even though Seongwoo _saved_ this piece for him. “Eat it!” Seongwoo whines.

Daniel giggles again at Seongwoo’s pouting and whining. He gives Seongwoo a playful look, pretending to think about it, but then does reach out and eat the meat right off the chopsticks. He licks his lips after he chews. “ _Yum_ ,” he moans, tail wagging. “Thank you, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo really shouldn’t have drunk the wine.

He quickly reaches for the check and starts looking for his wallet before he does something stupid, like openly stare at Daniel’s lips or fling himself across the table. “Let’s go,” he says, and is relieved when Daniel beings putting on his jacket. When they get to the cash register, Daniel plucks the bill out of Seongwoo’s hand.

“I got this,” he says, pulling out his wallet.

Seongwoo blinks. “W-what? No, we can split it.” He’s not going to let Daniel pay for this, the bill got expensive with all the wine.

But Daniel’s already handing the woman behind the counter the money. “You helped with the flyers, I want to thank you.”

“You can buy me an ice-cream.”

“Seongwoo,” Daniel chuckles. “Let me _pay_.”

Seongwoo sighs, but there’s not much he can do since Daniel’s already accepting his change. “Fine, fine. But I’m paying you back somehow.” This has Daniel smiling as they walk out the restaurant door. “Thanks, Niel,” he says, and he can’t stop himself from scratching Daniel behind his ears. Like last time, Daniel startles at the touch, but quickly breaks back into a smile.

They both wobble a little bit as they walk to the bus stop, and Seongwoo really, really hopes Boa doesn’t hang him. “We shouldn’t have drunk so much,” he mumbles, mainly to himself. Daniel laughs next to him, but doesn’t give a response. The try to keep their balance as they get to the stop, but a cold gust of wind nearly knocks Seongwoo off his feet. He groans, gripping his jacket tighter around his body. “Why is it so _cold_ ,” he whines.

“You should have worn a heavier jacket,” Daniel replies, snickering a bit. He then has the audacity to cuddle himself in his own puffy, heavy, _warm_ jacket in front of Seongwoo.

This has Seongwoo frowning further. “You’re so _mean_.”  
  
Daniel laughs again, then gives Seongwoo a thoughtful look. “Here,” he says after a few moments. He unzips his jackets and opens it up. “We can share.”

Something in the back of Seongwoo’s mind tells him that he should not share Daniel’s puffy, heavy, warm jacket, but another guest of wind has Seongwoo diving in, wrapping his arms around Daniel’s waist.

“Better?” Daniel asks.

“So much, I thought I was going to-”

 _Oh_.

Seongwoo looks up to speak and Daniel’s _right there_ in front of him, inches away from his face. The Cat’s eyes go wide in surprise, and Seongwoo feels his face flame at their proximity. “Uh,” he starts, not sure what exactly to say in this kind of situation. Somewhere in the back of his mind to step away and give Daniel space, but it’s overshadowed by his eyes that are admiring the little mole under Daniel’s eye, the pink in his cheeks, the way his lips are curling into his _god damn_ pretty smile and Seongwoo has to wonder if Daniel can feel his heart pounding, so loud it’s drowning out the busy street and loud conversations.

Seongwoo really, really shouldn’t have drunk the wine.

He opens his mouth to say something, anything to make this less awkward, but another gust of wind blows through the street and Seongwoo instinctively curls into Daniel to block the wind. His head drops to Daniel’s shoulder to keep his face out of the cold and _oh God_ this is so much worse because Daniel smells _good,_ who allowed him?

And all Daniel does his laugh. “It’s cold,” he says, and drops _his_ head down to Seongwoo’s shoulder and buries his head into Seongwoo’s sweater and if Daniel couldn’t heart his heart pound before, he _definitely_ has to hear it. Seongwoo freezes where he stands, not knowing what to do because honestly this is kind of fucking nice and Daniel is really warm but is this even _okay_ and -

“Oh, the bus is here!” Daniel says.

“Oh,” Seongwoo lamely replies, lifting his head up from Daniel’s shoulder as their bus pulls up. He looks back to Daniel. “You should, uh-”

“Oh, sorry!” Daniel releases his grip on Seongwoo, and Seongwoo is fast to escape from Daniel’s warm hold. Daniel smiles and grabs his arm. “Let’s get on before you freeze.”

Seongwoo wants to tell Daniel that there’s no way he can freeze _now_ , not when his heart is still pounding and he feels his cheeks heat up. Even as they settle on the bus and Daniel happily chirps about the restaurant and food, Seongwoo’s mind is still reeling, because Daniel’s lips looked very, _very_ kissable and that’s a problem.

Not that he’d think about kissing Daniel because Daniel’s just a friend and this is definitely just the wine talking because Seongwoo would never want to kiss Daniel he’s much too busy with finding a drama role and his work and besides Daniel probably doesn’t even think of Seongwoo as anything other than a friend it’s completely normal to want to give your friends hugs and pay for your meals as a thank you and -  

He internally groans. He’s never drinking wine again.

 

 

_________

 

 

“Wow, you got a few thousand more followers on your Instagram!”

That surprises Seongwoo. He looks up from his coffee cup to Jisung, who’s tapping away on his laptop. “From last week? Really?”

“Yeah, looks like that department store ad you just did got popular and people found you.” Jisung turns his laptop so Seongwoo can see. His instagram account that Jisung runs (Seongwoo just supplies his beautiful face) now boasts almost ten thousand followers. Not bad for a no-name model. Seongwoo reaches out and scrolls through the comments of his most recent post, pleased that most of the comments are about how handsome he is. “This is great, Seongwoo,” Jisung continues. “If you keep this up, you’ll definitely have people buzzing about you.”

“I’m just glad things are working out.” Seongwoo pushes the laptop back to Jisung.

“With all this new traffic, you definitely should start sharing photos of you with the shelter.” Jisung’a face disappears back behind the screen. “That’ll get your followers talking.”

“Oh.” Seongwoo nearly forgot that the whole reason he was volunteering was to create buzz around him. He really should be sharing the photos he’s in. “I, uh, I’ll check with Boa. I may not be able to.”

“Well, you can at least promote the shelter right? Tell your followers about it and lead them to the shelter’s instagram?”

“I have to see,” Seongwoo says again. Honestly, he knows this was the original plan, but he feels kind of weird promoting the shelter. But maybe he’s over thinking this. He hasn’t eaten yet today, so maybe he’s just out of it from hunger. He looks over to his refrigerator, and wonders if there’s anything worth eating. The only thing he may have is beef he can heat up, but beef makes him think of the restaurant and Daniel and jackets and nope, no beef for him.

He then remembers about the Line shoot. “Hey, uh, do you think it’s okay if I bring Daniel to the Line commercial shoot?”

Jisung pauses typing on the laptop, then looks up at Seongwoo. “Who?”

“Daniel, from the shelter? The one I work with.”

“Oh,” Jisung says, confused. “The _Cat_? Why?”

Seongwoo frowns at Jisung, a bit in disbelief over his critical tone. What’s Jisung got against Daniel?  “Because _Daniel_ wants to see the behind the scenes of a shoot.” He glares at Jisung. “Is that a problem?”

This time, Jisung frowns as he looks up from his laptop. “Woah, I’m only wondering why you want to bring one of your Cats to your shoot. What’s with the attitude?”

“ _You’re_ the one with the attitude,” Seongwoo shoots back. “Why are you speaking about him like that?”

“Like _what_?”

“Calling him ‘the Cat.’ It’s rude, and he has a name.” Seriously, does Jisung not realize how insensitive he’s being? Cats have names and aren’t just identified by their species.

Jisung gives Seongwoo a critical look. “Okay, why do you want to bring _Daniel_ to the shoot?”

“Because he wants to see what it’s like behind the scenes of a shoot.”

Jisung sighs, then sits back in his chair, running his hand through his hair. “If you really want to bring him, you’ll need to talk to management and arrange a pass or something. They’re not going to let some Cat walk around.”

“Jisung!” Seongwoo shouts, pounding his fist on the kitchen table. “Stop that!”

Jisung is still frowning, shaking his head as Seongwoo speaks. “ _Jesus_ , Seongwoo, since when have you been a social justice warrior over _Cats?_ ” He raises an eyebrow.

“I’m not being a social justice warrior, I’m just telling you to call Daniel _Daniel_.”

“And I’m just saying you’ve never been politically correct about Cats before, and now you’re freaking out at _me?_ ” Jisung looks like he wants to say something else, but sighs and shakes his head. “Fine, fine. _Daniel_.”

“Y’know,” Seongwoo snides before his mind catches up. “If you’re just going to sit here and be a dick, you can leave.”

Jisung blinks, and doesn’t answer for a few moments. “You’re...really upset about this,” he eventually says, slow, unsure. Seongwoo doesn’t answer, and instead stands up and moves across the kitchen to busy himself in the fridge. Of course he’s fucking upset - Jisung is talking rude about Daniel, his friend - and he doesn’t care if he throws a tantrum.

After a few more tense minutes, Jisung sighs again. “Fine, I’m sorry. That wasn’t cool.”

“If you’re just going to half-ass an apology, I don’t want to hear it.” Seongwoo doesn’t even look at Jisung, instead taking out some week-old chinese food.

“Seongwoo-” Jisung starts, but Seongwoo drops the food on the counter, loud enough to drown Jisung out. “Alright,” Jisung says. Seongwoo can hear his chair scratch on the floor. “I can tell when I’m being kicked out.”

Seongwoo doesn’t say anything as he hears Jisung pack up his stuff and leave, the door to the apartment slamming on his way out. Honestly, he feels a bit bay, but Jisung really was being a dick about Daniel. But, then again, Seongwoo may have - a _tiny_ bit - been overreacting. He groans to himself, then reaches for his phone to shoot a text to Jonghyun. Jisung and Seongwoo have gotten into fights in the past, and Jonghyun always knows how to pacify them.

If anything, Seongwoo supposes they’re both just stressed. It’s been a hell of a month, slow with only a few photoshoots, and Jisung’s being pulled in all different directions trying to get Seongwoo more attention. And these days, Seongwoo’s spending more time at the shelter than at Fantagio. They both are cranky and unpleasant right now, and Seongwoo should really give Jisung a pass. Besides, Jisung’s right - before Seongwoo worked at the shelter, he was careless about properly addressing Cats. Hopefully, a case of beer will be enough for a truce.

But if Jisung talks about Daniel like that again, Seongwoo’s getting a new publicist.

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the 300+ Kudos and your comments!  
> YA'LL ARE SO CUTE I CRY

 

 

 

Hey do you have Daniel’s cell phone number?  
6:59 PM

 **Hwang Minhyun  
** Yeah, give me a second!  
Did you need something?  
7:02 PM

Nope, just need it. Thanks!  
7:03 PM

 **Hwang Minhyun  
** No problem!  
7:04 AM

 

 

_________

  
  


**Kim Jaehwan  
** Why do you need Daniel’s number  
8:42 PM

Why do you need to know.  
8:44 PM

 **Kim Jaehwan  
** I asked you first  
8:44PM

I asked you second.  
8:45PM

 **Kim Jaehwan  
** You’re not answering my question  
8:45 PM

Neither are you.  
8:45 PM

 **Kim Jaehwan  
** OH MY GOD  
8:46 PM

 

 **Kim Jaehwan  
** BOA WANTS TO KNOW JUST ANSWER ME.  
8:46 PM

Oh, shit, why didn’t you say so.  
8:47 PM

 

I’m taking him to a commercial I’m shooting  
And just wanted his number for when he  
Gets there.

8:49 PM

 

Is that okay? Do I need to sign him out or  
anything?  
8:49 PM

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
Ooooooooooooh.  
Nah he can sign himself out.  
8:50 PM

 

 **Kim Jaehwan**  
And I was just kidding, Boa didn’t ask.  
8:56 PM

I’M GONNA KILL YOU

8:57 PM

 

_________

  
  
  


Hey Daniel, it’s Seongwoo.  
Here’s the address for the shoot. We’re going to be  
right outside of the Line store, so just text me when  
you’re outside!  
7:03AM

 **Daniel  
** Ok!!! :)  
Sorry I slept in ><  
Do I need to be dressed up or anything???  
10:23AM

Nope, just warm cause it’s going to be cold that day.  
See you then!  
10:25AM

 **Daniel  
** See you then!!!  
10:25AM

 

_________

  
  
  


“I need you to do me a huge favor. Like, the biggest favor I’ve ever asked you to do.”

“Sure!” Sungwoon answers without hesitation. “What’s up?”

Seongwoo makes a mental note to get Sungwoon something really nice for his birthday. “Daniel’s going to come visit the set. Can you watch him when I’m shooting?”

“Oh!” Sungwoon exclaims. His ears perk up and his eyes become bright. “Your friend from the shelter, right?”

“Yeah.” Seongwoo pauses to open the door to the changing room.  “I’m just worried about if Minki gets his hands on him.”

Sungwoon laughs. “I’ll try to keep him away.”

Speaking of Minki, the Cat’s already on the changing room couch. He looks up when the two walk in. “I can hear you, asshole.”

“Well,” Seongwoo starts, sitting in his chair in front of the mirror. “You’re just...a lot to handle to someone you’ve just met.”

“I take that as a compliment.” Minki stands and grabs his makeup bag. “I wouldn’t want to be _boring_.”

“Okay but can you at least tone it down a bit? I don’t want you scaring him off.”

Minki snorts, setting the bag on the makeup counter. “What makes you think I’ll corrupt this friend of yours?”

“You suggested I buy him a dildo,” Sungwoon chuckles.

“ _Oh_ ,” Minki looks up from his makeup bag, interested. “ _That_ friend.”

Seongwoo really wishes Sungwoon didn’t say that, because Minki has this evil look in his eye that can’t be good. “Yeah,” he says slowly. “That friend.”

Minki hums. “Did you end up buying him a dildo?” His tone is casual, like he’s asking about the weather instead of if Seongwoo bought Daniel a sex toy.

Once again, Seongwoo chokes on air, because _no_ , he absolutely did _not_ buy Daniel a dildo why does Minki keep asking him that and here he goes with imagining Daniel’s face if he opened a gift with a dildo in it and possibly using it and _wow_ did it get hot in here all of a sudden.

Sungwoon hands him a bottle of water. “Don’t worry, Seongwoo. I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

“I can’t believe both of you are against me,” Minki sighs. “I’ll have you know that I’m considered the fun uncle around Cats.”

“Just please behave,” Seongwoo pleads to Minki. He just wants Daniel to have fun and not get into any trouble or have anyone bother him.

“I’m not making any promises,” he answers, the shuts Seongwoo up by pouring foundation in his face.

 

 

_________

  
  
  


**Daniel  
** I’m here!!  
12:01 PM

Okay hold on!  
12:01AM

 

Seongwoo looks to Sungwoon. “Daniel’s here.”

“Give me one second…” Sungwoon finishes styling the tie around Seongwooo’s neck. When it’s to his liking, he smiles. “Okay! You can go.”

Seongwoo smiles back and ducks out of the store. The models are helping promote the Myeongdong branch of Line, and they’ve closed off part of the store for the shoot. Seongwoo feels a bit silly in his green outfit - representing the frog character Leonard - but it’s not the worst thing he’s ever worn for a shoot. That, and it seems like some of the girls who are entering the store like the sweater vest he’s wearing. They keep pointing to him and giggling. It makes Seongwoo’s pride swell, but also makes him wonder if Daniel will think he looks good in his outfit too.

As a friend. Y’know.

Jonghyun intercepts him as he walks towards the barriers separating the shoppers from the models. He has his phone balanced between his shoulder and ear, an ice coffee in one hand, and a clipboard in the other. “Where are you going?”

“Daniel’s here.”

Jonghyun’s eyes light up and nudges Seongwoo along, speaking back into the phone. Seongwoo continues walking until he hits the barrier, scanning the crowd until he sees a familiar set of blonde ears. “Niel!” he calls, and Daniel’s ears twitch at his name. Seongwoo watches with a chuckle as the ears weave through some people

Eventually Daniel pops out of the crowd. “Hi Seongwoo!” he says with his bright smile and tail wagging. His hair is styled up off his forehead today, and he’s traded his puffy winter coat for a red sweatshirt and leather jacket and _oh_ his jeans are ripped.

Seongwoo tries not to stare at how good he looks. “Hi,” he wheezes back. He looks over to one of the security guards and motions to Daniel. “This is my friend who’s visiting.” The guard nods and moves one of the barricades so Daniel can get through.

“Wow,” Daniel says once he’s through the barricade. “I feel like a VIP.”

“You look like one,” Seongwoo slips before he can think.

Daniel blinks, than chuckles sheepishly. “Jaehwan and Minhyun thought I should dress up a bit.”

“Oh.” Seongwoo’s going to punch himself in the face. “Uh, well, this is behind the scenes of a commercial.”

Seongwoo takes Daniel back into the store, pointing out a few staff members as they walk by. Jonghyun still has the phone to his ear when Seongwoo and Daniel get to him. “Hold on,” he says, before dropping the phone and smiling at Daniel. “Hi Daniel, I’m Jonghyun. Nice to finally meet you.”

Daniel smiles back. “Nice to meet you!” His eyes then go a bit wide. “Oh! Thanks again for my birthday present.”

Jonghyun chuckles. “It was all Seongwoo’s idea, but your welcome.”

Seongwoo looks over to Daniel. “How long did it take you to read all of them? ”

“Three days.”

Now Seongwoo chuckles. “Guess next year I’ll have to get you more.” He reaches out to scratch Daniel’s ear. Daniel giggles back, sticking out his tongue. “Anyway,” Seongwoo continues, looking back to Jonghyun. “Daniel’s going to be-” He pauses when he notices Jonghyun’s confused face. “What?” Why is everyone giving him weird looks lately?

Jonghyun doesn’t answer right away, but gives Seongwoo a smile after a few moments. “Nothing, nothing.” He puts his phone back on his ear. “It was nice to meet you, Daniel,” he says before walking away.

Seongwoo frowns and turns to Daniel. “Do I have something on my face?”

Daniel purses his lips, looking. “Nope.” He smiles, playful. “You just look good.”

Seongwoo’s going to punch himself in the face.

His cheeks color as Daniel giggles. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea to bring Daniel. He’s going to give Seongwoo heart palpitations the entire time, and Seongwoo needs to keep calm and professional during shoots. Not that it’s Daniel’s fault, of course not, it’s Seongwoo’s really, he really should be able to stay professional at work but Daniel just throws him for a loop but like _as a friend_ which is totally a thing.

Seongwoo gives up and pulls Daniel by the hand, walking further into the store before he has a mental breakdown. He spots Sungwoon off in the corner fixing another model’s skirt, and walks Daniel over. “Sungwoon, this is Daniel.”

Sungwoon looks up and immediately smiles. “Hi Daniel!” He gives the female model a thumbs up, and she walks away. Sungwoon turns to Daniel. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Seongwoo talks a lot about you.”

Seongwoo’s definitely going to punch himself in the face. “N-no I don’t!” he stutters, cheeks getting red again. Sungwoon’s fucking with him. What did he do in his past life to deserve this?

Daniel, of course, laughs, and Seongwoo notices _his_ ears getting pink. “It’s okay,” he tells Seongwoo. “I talk a lot about you too.”

Seongwoo ignores the disgusting amount of butterflies he gets in his stomach. “Sungwoon, I’m on soon. Do you mind showing Daniel around a bit more?”

Both Cats’ ears perk. “Sure!” Sungwoon replies. He links arms with Daniel and walks him to where some of the extra outfits are hanging. Seongwoo smiles as they leave, then heads towards the back of the store. He greets the director for the shoot, then heads in front of the camera to where some of the other models are standing. One of the models is tall, long and lean and when he locks eyes with Seongwoo, he gasps, quickly paling. Seongwoo frowns at his reaction. He’s never gotten _that_ before, especially from someone he doesn’t know...though those eyes do look familiar….and those lips….

 _Shit_.

Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome - his drunken hookup from so many months ago.

They both look at each other, frozen in their spots. _Of course_ he was a model. He was incredibly good looking. And Seongwoo’s slowly remember them speaking about work and photoshoots. Now Seongwoo really wishes he had gotten a number - he’d feel less like an asshole. “Uh-” he starts, not even knowing how to start this conversation. “I, uh, guess this explains why you looked so good in that bucket hat.” Yep. That’s the best he can come up with.

Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome blinks, then gives an uncomfortable laugh. “Uh, yeah….guess so.”

Yep, definitely him. Seongwoo recognizes that deep voice. “Uh...Hyun…?”

“Hyunbin,” he answers, and thankfully doesn’t seem pissed that Seongwoo doesn’t remember his name. “And you’re….Gong?”

“ _Ong_.” Seongwoo can’t even be bad this time that someone got his name wrong. He’s in relief he’s not the only one who can’t remember shit from that night. “Ong Seongwoo. ”

“Seongwoo, right...” Hyunbin trails off, then snorts. “ _Fuck_ , this is awkward.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you didn’t break my heart or anything,” Seongwoo offers.

“And you didn’t break mine so...no hard feelings?”

Seongwoo chuckles. “Yeah, we’re good. Though I did wished I’d gotten your number. I had fun.”

“So did I,” Hyunbin chuckles back. “But looks like you did well for yourself.” Seonwoo frowns at Hyunbin’s words, not sure what he’s talking about. Hyunbin chuckles at his confusion, motioning over Seongwoo’s shoulder. Seongwoo turns, and sees Sungwoon and Daniel with a one of the staff members and her toddler. Daniel’s cooing at the baby and letting her touch his ears and tail. He’s got his bright smile on his face as he talks with her, and Seongwoo tries so, _so_ hard not to squeal at the sight. “He seems like a great guy,” Hyunbin continues.

Seongwoo has to smile at that _._ “He really is,” he murmers back. He turns back to Hyunbin, who has this look on his face and _Oh_. “O-oh, no not like that,” Seongwoo says quickly, shaking his head, now understanding what Hyunbin was talking about. “He’s just a friend! We’re not dating or anything!”

Hyunbin raises an eyebrow at that. “Really?” He seems genuinely surprised. “Sorry. It just looked like you two were together when you walked in.”

“Haha, nope, just friends.” Seongwoo really hopes he’s not as red as he feels like he is.

“Oh,” Hyunbin says. After a few seconds, he gives Seongwoo a flirty smile. “Well in that case, when this is done would you want to grab a drink? I know a few bars where we won’t be seen.”

There inference is evident, and Seongwoo does give the invitation some thought. He really could use a night out as a break, and he has been diving into the darker parts of the internet to find third-class porn videos when he feels in the mood. A few drinks and maybe another romp with Hyunbin sounds pretty good, but then he remembers that he promised to take Daniel to a ramen restaurant nearby after the shoot.

He doesn’t even give it a second thought. “Nah, I can’t. I already had plans.”

Hyunbin’s eyes dart over past his shoulder - no doubt at Daniel again - but a knowing smile appears on his face. “No problem. Maybe another time?”

“Maybe,” Seongwoo repeats. Any other time, he’d jump at the chance. Just not today. Today is Daniel and ramen.

Hyunbin nods and opens his mouth to speak, but the director is calling for places. Hyunbin gives Seongwoo an apologetic smile, then scurries off. Seongwoo laughs.

 

 

_________

  
  
  


  
About an hour later, Seonwoo’s finished with the shoot. He thanks the director and staff, before heading off set. Something in the back of his mind tells him he should get Hyunbin’s number, but then his stomach growls and reminds him that ramen is in his near future. So he continues to the front of the store, spotting Sungwoon sitting on a bench outside with his head in his phone. Daniel’s not with him. Seongwoo frowns. “Where’s Daniel?” he asks when he walks up to Sungwoon.

Sungwoon looks up. “Oh, he went with Minki somewhere.”

“He did _what_ ?” Seongwoo nearly shrieks. Didn’t he explicitly tell Sungwoon _not_ to let Daniel alone with Minki?  “I told you to keep an eye on him!”

Sungwoon shrugs his shoulders. “Daniel said he wanted to go with Minki.” He looks to his left. “Somewhere that way.”

How can Sungwoon be so calm?! Seongwoo groans out loud and quickly walks in the direction Sungwoon’s looking at. There are dozens of scenarios going through his head - Minki took Daniel to a strip club, kidnapped him and is one the run, sacrificing him to the demon he worships for his flawless skin -

Minki’s got Daniel on one of the benches a block down the street. Daniel’s is tilted back as Minki brushes something from his makeup bag on his eyes. “All done!” Minki sings, pulling away from Daniel and looking at his work. He seems pleased with himself. His ears perk as Seongwoo walks forward, and he gets a sly smile on his face. “Oh, hi Seongwoo.”

“Hi Seongwoo,” Daniel says, chirpy and bright. “What do ya think?” Daniel turns his head. “Does it look good?”

Seongwoo doesn’t know what “it” is until he looks down at Daniel and _oh_.

Minki did his makeup.

Daniel’s eyes are lined with dark eyeliner, and Minki brushed a red, smokey eye shadow along his lids. His usually bright eyes look darker, sensual. Like this is a new Daniel, an evil twin, one set out to destroy Seongwoo.

And well, there go the butterflies again. And other feelings headed south on his body.  

“Y-yeah,” Seongwoo chokes out. Wow, did it get hot all of a sudden? “Y-you look good.”

Minki snorts while Daniel smiles, satisfied. “Are you all done?” he asks, his tone still bright and chirpy and so unlike the look he’s now sporting.

Seongwoo tries to will his heart to stop trying to beat out of his chest. “Yeah, uh, h-how about you bye to Sungwoon and we’ll go?” Daniel’s off the bench in seconds, dashing back inside the store. Seongwoo’s feels whip lashed.  

“I approve.”

Seongwoo looks to Minki. “Approve what?”

“Daniel,” Minki answers. “I approve. He’s adorable.”

“Uh, thanks?” Seongwoo’s not sure if it’s a good thing that Minki approves of Daniel, but he supposes that friends look out for friends, so Minki just wants to make sure Daniel’s a nice guy. Which of course Daniel is.

“Also if you don’t jump on him soon, I will.”

Seongwoo finds himself choking on air. “ _W-what?_ ” he sputters.

Minki shrugs. “He’s pleasant company, hot, has a nice ass -” Seongwoo chokes again. “And if you don’t make a move on him, I will.”

Words leave Seongwoo as his brain processes what Minki said. Make a move? On _Daniel_? No of course not, he’s a _friend_. And why would Minki want to go out with Daniel. Sure Daniel’s nice and funny and  good looking and would make a great boyfriend for anyone and why is Seongwoo thinking about this again? “H-he’s just a friend!” he eventually says.

“So you don’t mind if I ask him out?”

“No!” Seongwoo growls. “I mean, _yes_ ! Yes I mind! He’s _my_ friend!”

“You were still friends with Jisung he had a girlfriend -”

“That’s different.”

Minki raises an eyebrow.  “How?”

“It…” Seongwoo stutters, trying to figure out how to get around Minki’s logic. “It just is!”

Minki says nothing, instead staring at Seongwoo with this _look_. “You’re as dumb as a rock,” he eventually says, picking up his makeup bag and storming off. Seongwoo frowns as he goes, unsure if Minki’s serious about asking Daniel out which is totally not okay with Seongwoo.

But Daniel’s is walking back, looking a little worried. “Are you okay?” he asks, probably noticing Seongwoo’s sour expression.

“Yeah, Minki’s just being stupid,” Seongwoo mumbles back.

“Oh.” Daniel says, a bit confused. He looks back to where Minki walked away, then to Seongwoo, smiling. “I like your friends.”

“Well, that makes one of us right now.”

Daniel laughs. “The makeup was my idea, don’t be mad at Minki.” He links arms with Seongwoo. “So...ramen?”

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

 

 **Choi Minki  
** Hey, can you give me Daniel’s number?  
I meant to get it from in yesterday but  
forgot.  
11:02 PM

No.  
11:02 PM

 **Choi Minki  
** No really, what is it?  
11:03 PM

No, I’m not giving it to you.  
11:04 PM 

 **Choi Minki  
** Why don’t you want to help a friend get  
together with another friend?  
11:05 PM

Because I don’t want you corrupting Daniel.  
11:05 PM

 **Choi Minki  
** Jesus Christ, I’m not going to corrupt him.  
11:06 PM

 

Unless he asks me to ;)  
11:06 PM

MINKI FOR FUCKS SAKE  
11:07 PM

 **Choi Minki  
** Chill, I’m joking.  
11:06 PM

 

So, will you be corrupting him then?  
11:09 PM

I WILL NOT BE CORRUPTING ANYONE  
11:09 PM

**Choi Minki**

He looked really good in that makeup.  
I even impress myself.  
11:10 PM

 

And those jeans? He has legs for  
dddddaaaaaayyyyysss  
11:11 PM

 

How have you not jumped on him yet???  
11:11 PM

 

 

At this point Seongwoo tosses his phone onto his dresser. He’s 90% sure Minki’s just busting his balls and isn’t actually interested in Daniel, but it’s still pissing him off that Minki’s playing around like this. Not that it’d bother Seongwoo at all if Minki _was_ interested in Daniel, it’s just Daniel’s too nice and sweet for Minki who Seongwoo’s sure is the devil.

But fuck Minki because now Seongwoo’s thinking back to Daniel’s ripped jeans and eye makeup and perfect hair and his pretty smile and _wow_ he does not need these thoughts at 11 at night while he’s about to go to bed. He has work tomorrow and he needs sleep.  

His phone vibrates again and Seongwoo growls when he picks it up, deciding that Minki is a dead man walking. But the message isn’t from Minki - it’s from Daniel. It’s a Spiderman meme, along with a string of laughing emojis. Seongwoo lets out a chuckle, both at the meme and the thought of Daniel laughing to himself as he sent it. So he settles back onto his pillow and types out his response. He can wait a few more minutes.

  


__________

  
  


**Daniel  
** Good luck at your audition!!! :)  
2:31 PM

 

Wait, can I say good luck??? Or is  
that bad luck????  
2:32 PM

 

I DON’T WANT TO JINX YOU :((((  
2:32 PM

  
  
“Who’s that?” Jonghyun asks when Seongwoo smiles down at his phone.

“Daniel,” he answers, typing a quick thanks and “It’s okay, you won’t jinx me!” back to him. It’s sweet he remembered Seongwoo had an audition today. Then again, Seongwoo did spend all of yesterday pacing around the office, practicing lines over and over again until Jaehwan started throwing erasers at him.

“Ah,” Jonghyun replies, smiling back. “How’s he doing?”

“Good. He actually helped me with my lines yesterday.” Daniel was more than willing to read for some of the characters, even the female roles. He got really into it, so much so that Seongwoo ended up laughing more than concentrating on the lines.

Jonghyun hums. “That was nice of him.”

“Yeah, he’s just a really nice person.” His phone pings, and he chuckles at the line of emojis Daniel sent. “And funny.”

“You spend a lot of time with him, nowadays.”

Seongwoo looks at Jonghyun. “Do I?” Seongwoo certainly hasn’t noticed - but then again, Daniel and the shelter have become such a part of his routine that it feels strange if he _doesn’t_ see Daniel within a 48 hour window.

“You do,” Jonghyun nods back, but not offended or upset. If anything, Jonghyun looks a bit pleased. “And you’re enjoying your time.”

Well, Seongwoo can’t argue with that. “I do. Daniel’s fun to be around, and he’s -” He pauses, because Jonghyun’s giving him that looks again and _oh_ , did Jonghyun not mean his time with Daniel because isn’t that embarrassing? “Uh, the shelter, I mean. I’m enjoying spending time at the shelter.”

Jonghyun chuckles at his obvious bullshit. “It’s okay to admit you enjoy spending time with Daniel.” He shrugs. “It’s nice to have a friend outside of work.”

 _A friend_. Yes, Daniel is definitely a friend. A good friend even. A good friend who Seongwoo enjoys being around and is doing things with. Ever since Daniel took him for barbeque, they’ve started going around after Seongwoo’s shifts and trying some cafes and restaurants. It’s been fun. Relaxing. And even one time, a girl came up and recognized Seongwoo as a model.

“Is a family thinking of adopting him?” Jonghyun asks. Immediately, Seongwoo’s heart sinks and his face falls because no, no family that’s visited the shelter has spoken to Daniel. Not one. Jonghyun must sense Seongwoo’s change of aura, but before he can say anything, his phone starts ringing. “Hey Jisung,” he answers.

Seongwoo and Jisung are speaking to each other again. A case of beer from Seongwoo and bottle of wine from Jisung, and everything was okay. He and Jisung have fought before. Give them a few days to cool off, and they’re right back where they were.

Jonghyun hums for a bit at whatever Jisung is talking about. “Yeah, we’re almost at our appointment time. I’ll call you when he’s done.” A few seconds more and Jonghyun hangs up. “Jisung’s still set to meet after for dinner.”

Seongwoo hums in reply, trying to ignore the hunger that’s beginning to set in his stomach. He didn’t eat anything earlier. He was so nervous he didn’t want to risk anything making a reappearance during his audition.  

“And sorry about Daniel, if I said something wrong.”

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Nah. It’s just...” He sighs. “It’s hard on him, since he’s older.”

“Oh,” Jonghyun replies. “I never thought about that.”

“Yeah, older Cats have a harder time getting adopted.” Seongwoo sighs again, sinking down in his chair.

Jonghyun hums. “Maybe...the right person just hasn’t met him yet?”

“Maybe…” Seongwoo echos. It’s entirely possible. There may be a great family out there somewhere, perfect for Daniel - a family that’ll watch _Spiderman_ with him, take him out for barbeque and make sure he doesn’t burn the meat, or scratch his ears or laugh at his jokes. A family that will love him and treat him well, because he deserves it.

Seongwoo just wishes they’d find Daniel already.

  
  


__________

  
  
  


With a full stomach and a pleasant buzz from some red wine (Seongwoo makes a mental note to thank Daniel for introducing him), Seongwoo heads into his building. It’s still a bit early in the night, but Seongwoo’s heading to the shelter tomorrow morning. That, and the nerves he had from the audition have left him exhausted. He just wants to take a hot shower and sleep off this buzz. Maybe he can convince Daniel to give him a back massage or something tomorrow.

Seongwoo nearly trips over his feet. How about he doesn’t think about Daniel giving him massages and maybe he can sleep peacefully through the night. Not that thinking of Daniel giving him a massage has any effect on him, no, it’s just that -

Fuck it. He’s too buzzed to come up with some bullshit excuse. Hell yeah he’s going to imagine Daniel giving him a massage.

He hits the button for the elevator, decides that he’s never, never drinking red wine again, and then lets his mind imagine Daniel’s large hands working over his back and shoulders, how nice it’d feel to have him work the kinks out of Seongwoo’s back. Daniel would look so good, with his large shoulders and no doubt toned arms. Seongwoo would let him work down his back, down to his legs, his ass, would let Daniel press him into a table or desk and -

“Hi there, handsome neighbor!”

Seongwoo lets out a rather shrill shriek of surprise and nearly hits his head against the wall. He whips his head to see Seonho standing right next to him, ears and tail all perked and looking at him expectantly.

“Uh,” he starts, but his head’s still spinning and he can’t think of words right now.

Seonho doesn’t seem to notice. “Sorry about that. I thought you heard me!” He smiles at Seongwoo, then cocks his head a bit. “Why is your face so red?”

 _Because I’m a pervert_.

“Uh, n-no reason,” he stutters back, quickly turning away from Seonho in case other parts of his body are acting up without him knowing.

“I hope you aren’t getting sick,” Seonho replies, rocking back on his heels. He watches as the elevator counts down the floors.

Seongwoo looks over to him, now realizing that he’s alone. It’s not like Dongho to leave his Cats unattended. The last time that happened, Guanlin and Seonho accidentally blew the power in the building out. “Where’s Dongho?”

Seonho shrugs. “I dunno. We were out shopping but he and Guanlin were too slow. So I came home.”

 _Oh boy_. That’s probably not going to go over well with Dongho. The elevator eventually pings and arrives to their floor, but Senogwoo hesitates to get in. He looks back over to Seonho. “Uh...do you wanna wait for Dongho here? Before going up?”

Seonho looks at him, thinking. “Hm…” He looks back to the entrance. “I guess I should. Guanlin has the spare house key anyway.”

Seongwoo nearly face palms.

Seonho doesn’t notice his annoyance, instead skipping over to one of the couches in the lobby and pulling out his phone. Seongwoo watches as he makes a call. “Hi Dongho!” he chirps. “...Nope, I’m at the building.” He looks over to Seongwoo. “Of course not, our good looking neighbor is with me.” A pause. “Oh, Seongwoo. Why didn’t I know that?”

At the mention of his name, Seongwoo panics, immediately motioning for Seonho to stop talking. The last thing he needs is getting in trouble with Dongho - even though he’s done nothing wrong. But Seonho ignores his frantic movements and panicked expression. “Oh, good. I don’t have the key anyway,” Seonho continues, then hanging up the phone. He smiles and Seognwoo. “They’ll be here soon.”

Fantastic.

And true to his word, Dongho and Guanlin show up not even a minute later. Dongho looks a bit frazzled. Guanlin just looks smug, like he can’t wait to see how this all plays out. “You-” Dongho says, pointing at Seonho. “Are grounded.”  

Seonho pouts. “You two were just-”

“ _Grounded,_ ” Dongho says again. Guanlin snickers from behind him. Dongho rolls his eyes, then turns to Seognwoo’s who was really hoping he turned invisible before Dongho saw him. “Hi, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo squawks.

Luckily, Seonho’s pulling Dongho and Guanlin to the elevator. “Can we go home now? My feet hurt.”

“We walked around more than you did,” Guanlin replies. Seongwoo watches as Seonho swats Guanlin’s head with his tail, then Guanlin swats back. Jesus are these two handfuls. Maybe this is why Dongho’s always in a sour mood.

Dongho pulls them apart. “Both of you are getting a talking two…” he mumbles, but reaches up his hand and scratches behind their ears. It’s affectionate and Seongwoo’s a bit surprised at the gesture. Dongho never seemed like an affectionate person.

When the elevator pings Dongho leads Seonho and Guanlin inside. Seongwoo stays back, not wanting to get into that mess and risk losing an eye if Seonho or Guanlin start fighting again. “Oh,” Dongho says before closing the elevator. “Minki said something about asking you for Daniel’s number?”

Seongwoo nearly trips over his feet again. “ _I am not giving Minki Daniel’s number!_ ” he hisses. How dare Minki bring _Dongho_ into this?

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “Jesus, what’s the big deal?” There’s an amused look on his face. “It’s just a number.”

“It’s not just a number!” Seongwoo insists. “I’m not helping Minki get with Daniel.”

“Why not? Minki’s a good guy. And he and Daniel might have more in common than you think.”

“I think he and Daniel would get along well,” Seonho chirps from the back of the elevator.

Seongwoo scowls at the words. “I’m not giving Minki Daniel’s number.”

Dongho blinks, a bit taken back by Seongwoo’s tone. “Well shit,” he eventually says. He sounds a bit surprised, and a bit disappointed.

Seongwoo frowns at him. “What?”

Dongho shrugs. “Nothing. I just owe Jaehwan some money now.”

He closes the elevator.

  
  


__________

  
  
  


“Hi Seongwoo!” Daniel calls as soon as he walks up into the living room. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

It’s really hard looking Daniel in the eyes after last night and thinking of all the ways Daniel could massage him. But he bravely does, hoping his cheeks aren’t coloring. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Thankfully, Minhyun pulls him over to a table set up with crafts for the Cats to make Valentine’s cards with. “Sorry we had to call you in today,” he says.

Seongwoo shakes his head. “I wasn’t doing anything honestly.” Seongwoo hasn’t done anything romantic on Valentine’s Day in years. He’s usually working, or staying home by himself drinking and watching bad romance movies. He’s kind of glad to be here.

He watches as a few Cats draw and cut on the construction paper. He’s surprised to see Woojin diligently making a card. He cranes his head over to see the card. “Who’s that for?”

Woojin’s ears turn pink, but he gives Seongwoo a frown. “No one.” He quickly ducks his head and moves the card out of Seongwoo’s sight.

Well, that certainly is unlike Woojin. Now Seongwoo’s intrigued. “Oh, got a little crush?” he teases.

Immediately, Woojin’s snaps his head up. “ _No, I don’t!_ ” he whispers, then glances over his shoulder to see if anyone else heard. Lucky for him, Jaehwan turned the karaoke machine on and everyone is dancing around.

“Sounds like that’s a yes,” Seongwoo chuckles. This is too much fun teasing Woojin.

“I _don’t_ have a crush,” Woojin hisses. His ears are still pink and giving his lie away.  

Seongwoo smiles. “It’s okay to have a crush. We all get them. And making them a Valentine is a good way to let someone know you care about them.”

Woojin groans, moving to cover more of the card up with his body. “So why aren’t you making one for Daniel?” he mumbles, low and almost out of earshot.

Seongwoo nearly falls out of his chair.

He’s gasping for air and words and wow has the room always been spinning and he thinks he needs to lie down because _what did Woojin just say_? “W-what-”

Said Cat looks up, a face of innocence and naivety. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

Seongwoo just stares at him because he _definitely_ did not mishear that and what is Woojin trying to get at? Sure Seongwoo cares about Daniel he’s a friend, you care about friends, but it’s not like he’d make Jisung and Jonghyun a Valentine's Day card but maybe Daniel would like one? But Daniel’s just a friend and friends don’t get each other Valentine’s Day cards but then again friends don’t think of the other giving them massages in less than innocent imagines and -

Seongwoo quickly gets up from his seat, deciding that he’s no longer interested in helping make Valentine’s cards.

Somehow, he navigates to where Daniel’s sitting with Jaehwan, surrounded by bags of chocolate. Daniel looks up, smiling when he sees Seongwoo. “Want some chocolate?” he asks. He takes a piece and pops it into his mouth, liking his lips to get every last taste.

Seongwoo’s in deep shit.

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER CHAPTER SO QUICKLY?  
> SURPRISE!
> 
> Just saying I l o v e reading all of your frustrations on here and twitter :)

 

 

“You got a few more thousand followers!” Jisung exclaims. He’s so excited, he nearly drops the carton of eggs he was in charge of. Luckily, Jonghyun stabilizes them before they fall.

Seongwoo looks over from the meat aisle. “Wow, from the Line shoot already? I thought those pictures haven’t been released yet.”

“One picture was uploaded to their instagram, and they tagged you!” Jisung runs over and shoves his phone into Seongwoo’s face. Sure enough, Seongwoo has sixteen thousand followers now. His follower count has been steadily rising for the past few weeks. It’s been great - Fantagio has begun noticing, and is sending him some more shoots to consider. And with all of this rise in popularity has come without promoting the shelter, which Seongwoo is relieved about. He still feels strange at the thought of using the shelter. Thankfully though, Jisung hasn’t asked for him to yet.

Jonghyun strides over and takes a peak. “Wow, Seongwoo. You’re doing great!”

“Keep this up and you’ll be getting offers in no time,” Jisung adds, taking his phone back and typing away.

“Speaking of which,” Jonghyun continues, adding the eggs still in Jisung’s hand to Seongwoo’s cart. “Don’t forget you have the Lotte shoot on Thursday.”

“I won’t,” Seongwoo replies. He looks back down at the meat, wondering what he should have for dinner.

Jonghyun hands him some chicken. “Why don’t you invite Daniel again? He seemed to enjoy it last time.”

 _"No!_ ” Seongwoo nearly shouts. The chicken drops from his hands.

Both Jisung and Jonghyun blink at him. “Jesus, what was that?” Jisung asks.

“You don’t want Daniel at another shoot?” Jonghyun looks confused. “I thought he had a good time?”

“It’s not _Daniel_. It’s Minki.”

“Minki?” Jonghyun repeats. “What about Minki?”

“He wants Daniel’s number,” Seongwoo mumbles back. Yes, he’s still pouting over it. And no, he’s never going to give it to Minki. Minki can pry it out of Seongwoo’s cold, dead hands. He sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He instead picks up the package of chicken he dropped and puts it in his shopping cart.

Jisung raises his eyebrow. “What’s wrong with giving Minki Daniel’s number?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Seongwoo grumbles again, walking off with his cart. For the past week he’s been saying the same thing over and over again, and he’s getting really tired of people asking him why it’s such a big deal. And he’s getting really tired of people _not_ see it’s a big fucking deal.

So he walks away from Jonghyun and Jisung, heading over to the pastry section because now he really wants a cookie. As he looks at all of the cookies, Jisung saunters next to him, dropping a bag of noodles into the chart. “So you’re jealous of Minki wanting Daniel’s attention?”

“No,” Seongwoo replies, hoping Jisung can hear his annoyance in his tone. “I just don’t want Minki hanging around Daniel.” Seriously, won’t Jisung drop it?

Jisung sighs, running his hand down his face. “I know this is a touchy subject, but Seongwoo -” he nudges Seongwoo’s shoulder. “I think you’re getting a little too personal with this.”

Seongwoo frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Daniel, the shelter. You’re getting too involved.”

“Wasn’t that the point? Get involved?”

Jisung scowls. “No, the point was do a charity project to further your career.”

“And that’s what I’m doing,” Seongwoo replies, stuffing a package of cookies into the cart. “I’m working at the shelter, being nice to everyone, and they’ll sing praises over me -”

“God dammit, Seongwoo,” Jisung hisses, trying not to raise his voice. “You’re taking this way too far. You have a fucking Spiderman t-shirt in your cart that I know isn’t for you.”

Seongwoo looks down at the shirt. Yes, damn it, yes it’s not for him. It’s for Daniel. Because Daniel likes Spiderman and Seongwoo wants to see Daniel’s eyes light up when he gives it to him. That’s not too far, that’s being a good friend.

“The problem is that you’re blurring the line between professional and personal,” Jisung continues.

Seongwoo groans, running his hands through his hair. “Fine. Daniel’s become a friend.” He takes the shirt out of the cart. “But I like having Daniel as a friend, okay?” He tosses it Jisung. “I’ll watch myself, but I’m telling you he’s just a friend.”

Jisung’s still frowning at him, and judging by the look on his face not believing a word Seongwoo’s saying. But after a few moments, he shakes his head. “I’m not your manager, I can’t tell you what to do.” He tosses the shirt back into the cart. “But I hope you know that the more you get involved, the more you’re going to crash and burn.” 9

“Thanks for the warning…” Seongwoo mumbles back, tone dripping in sarcasm. He huffs off, pushing the cart to the front of the store to pay for his groceries. He’s not going in over his head on this - he’s being nice to the Cats and Jaehwan and Minhyun and when he’s a star and gets asked about his work there, everyone will say how great of a volunteer he was. That’s the plan. That’s all this is.  

He thinks Jisung means well by warning him, but he makes a mental note to never invite him or Jonghyun grocery shopping again.

  
  


__________

  
  
  


“Shit,” Seongwoo grumbles, trying to get his hands warm as he walks up to the shelter. It’s February for fucks sake, when is Spring getting here? He blows into his gloves as he rings the shelter buzzer.No answer.

Seongwoo frowns. This is odd. Jaehwan’s always at the front desk. He rings the bell again.

No answer.

For a moment, Seongwoo briefly wonders if something happened. He had texted Daniel earlier this morning about maybe going to see the _Black Panther_ tomorrow, but he hadn’t gotten an answer back.

Now he’s feeling a bit panicked, and he really hopes there wasn’t an emergency. He pulls out his phone and calls the front desk.. On the last ring, the line picks up. “Myeongdong Central Cat Shelter,” Jaehwan answers, sounding breathless.

“Oh, hey Jae-”

“ _Shit_ ,” he curses. “You were the one ringing the bell.” Seongwoo can hear Jaehwan walking and closing a door. “Sorry Seongwoo, I was supposed to text you. You didn’t have to come in today.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Great actually. Euiwoong was officially adopted last week, and today’s his last day!” Euiwoong is one of the younger Cats, a bit quiet but always pleasant. It’s no wonder he got adopted. “Uh, we’re actually having a party...do you want to hang out for a bit?”

“Did you make cake?” Seongwoo chuckles. He’s got nothing else to do today, and he could definitely eat a slice or three of Jaehwan’s cake.

Jaehwan chuckles back and buzzes him in. “Yes, I did.”

Once Seongwoo makes it inside, Jaehwan takes his jacket and motions upstairs. “The family’s up there to, just say congrats to them.”

Seongwoo nods and heads up. When he walks through the door, Minhyun spots him right away. He just blinks before sighing. “Jaehwan forgot to text you, huh?” It has Seongwoo laughing that Minhyun knows Jaehwan so well.

The Cats are happy to see him and wave as he walks by, or in the case of Daehwi shoves a plate of cake into his hands. Seongwoo does stop by to meet the family - an older couple - and say congrats to Euiwoong who’s beaming. He doesn’t get many words in though, because Woojin and Jihoon grab him by the arms and pull him to where they’re sitting.

This is nice - everyone’s buzzing around, looking cheerful and enjoying the party. Daehwi’s talking all animated in their circle about a television show the Cats are watching now. Jinyoung’s intently listening, while Woojin and Jihoon have their heads ducked and speaking about something else. It’s nice, but Seongwoo frowns when he notices someone missing: Daniel.

Looking around, he spots all of the other Cats, but he’s not seeing Daniel anywhere. It’s not like him to miss out on cake. He leans over to Woojin. “Where’s Niel?”

For some reason, the conversations go silent. Jihoon pauses while putting a piece of cake in his mouth, Jinyoung’s ears turn down, and Daehwi’s tail flops as he sighs. Seongwoo looks around at them, not sure what he said wrong.

Woojin’s eyes dart towards the stairwell. “He, uh…” Woojin doesn’t finish his sentence, instead fidgeting in his seat, looking around for help.

“He’s not feeling well,” Jihoon finishes. “He’s upstairs in his room.” He quickly stuffs another piece of cake in his mouth.

“Oh,” Seongwoo says. That’s a bummer. He looks at the stairwell too. “Did he get any cake?” He can certainly take some cake up. Cake makes everyone feel better.

Jinyoung looks over to Seongwoo, a deep frown on his face. “I think you should just let him _rest_.”

Wow. That’s unexpected from Jinyoung. But Seongwoo doesn’t muse over his attitude, because now he’s concerned about Daniel. Daniel must really not feel well if Seongwoo shouldn’t go up and see him. But if Daniel’s sick, why is Daehwi’s ears still flopping as if he’s upset and Woojin’s still fidgeting in his seat? Why is Jinyoung looking at him like he’s an idiot for not understand why Daniel’s not feeling -  

 _Oh God_.

A Cat’s getting adopted today.

Seongwoo’s off the floor in seconds. Daehwi calls his name, but Seongwoo ignores him, instead moving through the Cats until he spots Jaehwan in the kitchen. “Is Daniel okay?” he asks.

Jaehwan frowns, confused. “Yeah, he’s fin-” He pauses, understanding what Seongwoo’s asking. His face falls, and there’s a slight shake to his head. “These are always hard on him...”

Seongwoo feels his stomach tightening. “Can…Can I go check on him?”

“I-” He pauses again, looking over Seongwoo’s shoulder. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Seongwoo turns and sees Minhyun looking at them. Jaehwan sighs. “Hold on,” he tells Seongwoo, then walks over to Minhyun. Seongwoo watches as they talk, Jaehwan probably telling Minhyun that he wants to go see Daniel. He sees Minhyun’s face change from curious to downcast, and he swears he hears “ _He may make things worse_ ” from Minhyun. But, to be honest, no matter what the decision is Seongwoo’s already decided he’s going to check on Daniel.

Eventually, both Minhyun and Jaehwan walk back to him. “I think he just wants to be alone right now,” Minhyun sighs, looking defeated. “But if you want to go, you can.”  It’s a good enough of an answer for Seongwoo.

Jaehwan hands him a piece of cake. “Hey may want a piece.”

Seongwoo nods, and takes the plate as he walks to the stairwell. Jihoon, Woojin, Daehwi, and Jinyoung are watching him as he goes. He’s glad that no one’s trying to stop him.

He pauses when he gets to Daniel’s room, trying to map out a game plan in his head. Should he ask about cake first? Or see how Daniel’s doing and then offer cake? He’s honestly not sure which way is going to make Daniel feel more better. After a few moments of going back and forth in his head, he gives up and gently knocks on the door. “Hey, Niel. It’s Seongwoo.”

It’s completely silent. Seongwoo doesn’t even hear Daniel move in his room. _Okay then._ He clears his throat. “I...er...I wanted to see how you were doing.” As soon as the words leave his lips, Seongwoo wants to punch himself in the face. Obviously Daniel’s not doing well. How big of an idiot is he? “Um...can I...can I come in?”     

There’s still no answer, but Seongwoo thinks he hears a sniffle through the door. That doesn’t make things better, and Seongwoo thinks he can feel his heart break a bit. He takes a deep breath. “Niel,” he says slowly. He pauses, wanting to choose his words carefully. “I just...don’t want you to cry alone.”

Daniel’s still quiet, but Seongwoo hears some movement now. He holds his breath. After a few seconds, the door gently opens. The room’s dark and it’s a bit hard to see, but Daniel’s on the other side, wrapped in a blanket and his sweatshirt hood over his head. His eyes are down at the floor, but Seongwoo can see his shoulders shake, see how he’s biting his lip to keep from crying. Seongwoo’s heart breaks a bit further and no, he’s going to keep it together, even if his stomach twists as the sight of Daniel crying.

Unfortunately, he’s less than graceful when it comes to cheering someone up. Unsure of what else to to, he starts with a soft “Hi?”

Daniel doesn’t respond, just sniffles and wipes his eyes. Okay, now what. “Uh…” He looks down at his hands. “I brought you some cake?”

Daniel peeks up at the plate, but shakes his head. Seongwoo’s not giving up. “Do you want something else to eat?” Daniel shakes his head again. “How about some water?” Another shake, and Daniel walks away from the door, slowly sinking onto this bed. He left the door open though, so Seongwoo takes it as an invitation to follow him in.

He sets the plate on Daniel’s dresser. “I’ll leave this here if you want it later.” Seongwoo then finds a box of tissues on the floor, and picks it up and places it next to Daniel. He’s still sniffling though, and Seongwoo’s running out of things to do. The only time he’s ever comforted someone was when Jisung got trashed and was throwing up in the toilet back in college. What he really wants to do is scratch Daniel’s ears. He knows Daniel likes it, but he also doesn’t want to touch Daniel right now if he’s feeling this down.

So Seongwoo’s stuck just watching Daniel cry, and he’s never felt more fucking helpless.

“Is...is there anything I can do?” he eventually asks, because he needs to do _something_ , but it’s so frustrating because Seongwoo doesn’t know _what_ to do - if there’s anything he _can_ do - but he can’t just sit here and watch Daniel cry. “Niel…” he starts, needing to say something. He gently sits on the edge of Daniel's bed. “You...you never know. Someone may come in and want to adopt you -”

“No one wants me.”

Daniel’s voice is soft, barely more than a whisper, but Seongwoo still startles at his words - at the absolute seriousness of his tone.  “Niel-”

“No one wants me,” Daniel whispers again.

It’s said with such sincerity that Seongwoo feels like he may be sick. His stomach twists in a way that _hurts_ , hurts so much at Daniel’s words. “You don’t know that,” Seongwoo says slowly, trying not to sound angry in his words. But how could Daniel think like that? “There’s someone out there that’s going to want you. I just know it.”

Daniel goes quiet again. He sighs, but does sit up at the other end of the bed. “My owner died a few years ago.”

Seongwoo’s heart stops beating.

“I was living with him and his daughter. And then her husband when she got married. I’d lived with them my whole life. He was old, and I’d help around the house and keep him company.” A sad, sad smile appears on Daniel’s face. “It was nice.”

Seongwoo’s not breathing.

“And when he died, his daughter let me stay, but her husband didn’t want me around. He didn’t trust Cats....”  Daniel trails off as his voice gives out, tears spilling over his cheeks again. “A few months later we moved to Seoul for his job, but before we got to the new apartment he kicked me out of the car. I had no idea where I was or where to go…I didn’t eat...or sleep...”  His breathing is picking up. “Boa found me a few days later before I-I…” This time, a sob leaves his lips and Seongwoo doesn’t hesitate to pull Daniel to him, wrapping his arms around Daniel’s shoulder as the Cat cries.

Seongwoo feels every shake of Daniel’s body, feels every tear that falls on his shirt, and Seongwoo feels his own eyes fill with tears. He rocks Daniel back and forth, whispering _“I’m so sorry, so sorry,”_ into his hair, one hand combing through Daniel’s hair and scratching his ears.

“No one wants me,” Daniel sobs again, and Seongwoo feels even more helpless now, because he knows nothing he can say will make Daniel feel better. Nothing can make this pain go away. So he just continues to hold him, continues to rub his back and scratch his ear. He tries focusing on his own breathing, hoping that it’ll calm Daniel down as well. Somehow, it does the trick. It takes a while, but eventually Daniel begins calming down, sobs turning to soft hiccups, then deep breaths. A few moments more, and Daniel pulls away from Seongwoo’s hold. “Sorry,” he mumbles, whipping his eyes.

Seongwoo frowns. “What for?”

Daniel shyly peaks up at him. “Crying on your shirt.”

Seongwoo looks down, and now notices how soaked his shirt has become, but he’s not upset in the least. “I’m fine. You can cry on my shirts whenever you need.” That makes Daniel smile a bit, a giggle almost leaving his lips. Seongwoo smiles back, glad to see Daniel starting to feel better. “I’m serious, Niel,” Seongwoo continues, reaching out to scratch his ears again. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Daniel doesn’t respond to that, but the smile on his face grows larger and his eyes get misty again. Maybe Seongwoo did something right. He still smiles, and gets up from the bed. “Do you wanna go for a walk?” Seongwoo asks. Maybe getting Daniel away from the party will make him feel better. “It’s like below five degrees out, but we can go get something to eat? Or go see _Black Panther_ right now?”

Daniel sniffles again, but no tears leave his eyes this time. “Okay,” he says. His voice is steady and he’s not shaking anymore, and relieve fills Seongwoo.

He stands up from the bed. “If you want to change, I can meet you downstairs?”

Daniel nods. Seongwoo makes a turn to leave, but Daniel grabs his hand before he can go, pulling Seongwoo in a hug. “ _Thank you_ ,” he whispers in Seongwoo’s ear, soft and _warm_ and Seongwoo heart swells.

And in that moment, Seongwoo makes a promise to himself: He’s going to find Daniel the perfect family.

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first person to comment gets to cuddle daniel for the day

 

 

When Seongwoo opens his apartment door, Jonghyun has a huge smile on his face. He’s immediately suspicious. “No, I’m not doing another swimsuit ad.” That last time Jonghyun was this happy ended with Seongwoo in a speedo and the worst sunburn he’s had in his life.

Jonghyun chuckles. “No, it’s not a swimsuit.” He holds out a pack of papers. “It’s a drama.”

If Jonghyun’s excited, it must be good. Seongwoo takes the pile. “What’s it about?”

“A mystery surrounding a group of high school students and a murdered teacher,” Jonghyun says, excited. “There’s plenty of supporting male roles, and it’s starring Eunwoo.”

That certainly gets Seongwoo’s attention. “This sounds perfect.”  

“Read it over before you make any decisions.” Jonghyun smiles. “But I think this could be it.”

Wow. This could be it. It’s still a long shot, and Seongwoo will have to go through a long audition process, but - this could be the one. He takes a deep breath, giving Jonghyun a smile. “I’ll read it over tonight.”

“Let me know tomorrow what you think.”

Seongwoo nods back. “Uh, do you want something to eat?” He thinks it’s around dinner time. “I was probably just going to order some chicken.”

“Not tonight,” Jonghyun replies, shaking his head. “I have a few meetings.”

Seongwoo shrugs. “Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Jonghyun gives him a thumbs up, then turns to walk away from the door. Seongwoo then remembers another pressing issue. “Hey, Jonghyun!” he calls. Jonghyun turns around. “Er, you don't...want a Cat, do you?”

Jonghyun frowns. “A Cat?”

“Yeah, like adopting one?”

Jonghyun looks confused for a few more seconds, before he understands. “Oh, you mean Daniel?”

It’s scary how good Jonghyun’s intuition is. “Yeah, Daniel,” Seongwoo replies.

A sad smile appears on Jonghyun’s lips. “I’d love to help, but I don’t think I’m cut out for a Cat.”

Seongwoo deflates. It was a long shot. Jonghyun’s a bit of a loner - it’s not surprising that he doesn’t think he would do well with a Cat. “Well, if you know anyone who’d maybe like to adopt Daniel, let me know.”

Jonghyun nods. “I will.”

Seongwoo smiles back. “Thanks.”

 

 

___________________

 

 

A few hours later, Seongwoo’s called it an early night. He’s got the script for the drama that he’s read over a few times, but it’s long forgotten since Daniel texted him nearly an hour ago. They’re going back and forth over their theories for _Infinity War_ , and which Avenger is going to take a bullet for the team when Seongwoo swears he hears a tapping.

He frowns and looks up from his phone, listening. He then realizes the knocking is coming from his door. Seongwoo frowns and puts the script down. He’s not expecting Jisung, or anyone for that matter. For a brief, moment, Seongwoo hopes that it’s Daniel - he _did_ mention that he wasn’t doing much tonight, and Daniel wasn’t doing anything either. The thought has him jumping off of the couch and swinging open the door.

Well. It’s a Cat.

“Hi Seongwoo!” Seonho chirps, smile wide and bright.

Seongwoo tries to hide his disappointment. “Hi Seonho.” Man, he really wished it was Daniel.

Seonho doesn’t notice his disappointment. “Do you have any sesame oil?”

“Uh,” Seongwoo looks to his kitchen, a little off guard. “I think so.” He walks over to his pantry, looking at the shelves until he finds the bottle of oil. “How much do you need?” he calls.

“Not sure! Can I borrow the bottle?”

Seongwoo resists the urge to rolls his eyes as he walks back to the front door. “Here,” he says, handing the bottle over.

Seonho beams. “Thanks!” He scurries back to his apartment. Seongwoo definitely rolls his eyes this time, then settles himself back on the couch. He’s got important business to attend to - convincing Daniel that Captain America is definitely going to be killed of this time around.  

A few minutes later, there’s another knock on his door. This time, a bit more urgent. “Hi again!” Seonho smiles. “Do you have carrots?”

Seongwoo reaches into the bowls of his fridge to find a bunch of carrots that are close to going bad. “So,” Seongwoo says when he returns with the carrots. “What are you making?”

“Guanlin and I are making japchae for Dongho!” Seonho answers, tail wagging. Seongwoo hums hands him the carrots. “Thanks!” Seonho says again, and scurries off.

The third time was to be expected.

This time, it’s Guanlin at his door, looking a bit frazzled. “Uh, when you make japchae, do you cook everything together, or separately?”  

Seongwoo blinks. “Uh, my Mom cooked everything separately-”

Guanlin mumbles something in a language Seongwoo doesn’t understand, then runs off back to his apartment door. Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good, and Seongwoo definitely shouldn’t get involved. He looks back to his nice, warm couch, and bits of chicken still left from an early dinner. It’d be so easy to sit back down, maybe fall asleep to some movie...

Seongwoo sighs and grabs his slippers.

Dongho’s door is still open when Seongwoo walks over. “Are you guys okay?” he calls into the apartment.

“We’re not burning anything, if that’s what your asking!” Seonho calls back.

Somehow, that makes things worse.

Guanlin appears at the doorway, looking anxious. “We need help,” he meeps.

There are a hundred reasons why he should say no - all of which are related to Dongho and ending with Seongwoo being murdered. But then he decides that getting his ass potentially kicked it better than having Seonho and Guanlin burn down their apartment building.

So in Seongwoo goes.

For some reason, Seongwoo was expecting Dongho’s apartment to be much different from his: probably dark painted walls, windows that keep sunlight out, maybe exercise equipment to keep his biceps bigger than Seongwoo’s thighs. But the apartment is ordinary, save for some pictures decorating the walls. Some are of who Seongwoo guesses is Dongho’s family, while most are of Guanlin and Seonho. It’s kind of...cute. And strange, since it makes Dongho seems more human.

The kitchen though, is a mess.

“We may have messed up,” Seonho says calmly, as if he’s not standing in the middle of a disaster zone. There’s a dozen pots and pans scattered around, some with food caked on. What can only be the entire contents of a refrigerator are littered on the floor and on the counters, and something is definitely burning from the pan Seonho’s working on.

“Shit,” he curses, moving Seonho over and shutting off the heat under the pan.

“I told you it was burning!” Guanlin whines.

“Jesus,” Seonwoo mumbles. He takes another look around the kitchen, wondering what the fuck he’s getting himself into. He’s definitely not cut out for babysitting.

He sighs. “Okay.” They’re going to have to start from scratch. He turns to Seonho. “Seonho, how about you get a pot for boiling water for noodles?” Seonho immediately grabs a large pot underneath a bag of rice sitting on the floor. “And Guanlin, you can start cutting…” Seongwoo looks around for some vegetables that can be salvaged. He finds three carrots, two green onions, and a carton of mushrooms. “These.” He trusts Guanlin more with a knife than Seonho.

As the Cats get to work, Seongwoo clears room on the stove and counter. He’s not a terrible cook by any means, but it’s been years since he’s watched him mom cook japchae. So he sends a quick text to Daniel saying he’ll talk to him later, and searches up a recipe they can follow. It seems easy enough.

“I got the water boiling!” Seonho exclaims.

Seongwoo double checks - just in case. “Okay,” he says when he’s sure the water isn’t somehow going to catch fire. “Do you have any beef?”

“Uh,” Seonho looks to one of the pans with a gelatinous black substance in it.

“Chicken it is.” Seongwoo picks up a half-empty package of chicken breasts. “Seonho, can you get these to make the marinade?”

It takes a while, but eventually the three get something looking like japchae cooking. Noodles are boiling, Guanlin chopped all the vegetables, and Seonho’s been keeping busy cleaning the dishes that have been caught in the chaos. “So...how’s the shelter?” Seonho asks as he cleans.

“Good,” Seongwoo answers. “You guys know most of the Cats there, right?”

“Yeah,” Guanlin replies, a bit sad. “We miss them…”

Seonho sighs. “We use to stop by and visit, but we’ve been busy with school. Or Dongho’s too busy at work to take us.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo says. That kind of sucks, especially since Seongwoo knows the Cats miss Seonho and Guanlin, too. Daniel’s mentioned them a few times, and so have the others.  Every time a Cat is adopted, there’s happiness and excitement, but also a hole that’s left behind from their presence. Everyone’s still feeling it from Euiwoong. It’s too bad that Dongho’s too busy to take Seonho and Guanlin, but maybe sometime soon they all can go. That would make the Cats happy, especially Daniel and well -

“Uh, I’m going to the shelter tomorrow if you want to to come with me?”

Both Cats perk up at that. “ _Really?_ ” Seonho asks, eyes and smile widening.

Seongwoo’s getting too nice for his own good. “Yeah, it’s not a problem. I just take the subway over.”

Seonho and Guanlin look at each other, before smiling and nodding their heads. “That’d be awesome!” Guanlin says.

“As long as Dongho says it’s okay,” Seongwoo adds quickly. The last thing he wants is for Dongho to think he’s kidnapping his Cats. Both Cats nod, promising they’ll ask Dongho as soon as he gets home. Speaking of which….

“When is Dongho coming ho-”

Suddenly, both Cats’ ears perk. Seonho gets a grin on his face and then they’re both running off out of the kitchen. “You’re home!” Seongwoo hears Seonho call, then the apartment door opening and closing.

Shit.

“What smells so good?” he hears Dongho ask.

“We made japchae!” Seonho replies.

“All by yourself?” Dongho sounds a bit anxious at that.

“Well, no, Seongwoo helped!”

There’s a silence, before Seongwoo hears “Oh...that was nice of him.”

“Yeah, and he’s still here!” Guanlin replies.

He’s dead.

Seconds later, Dongho walks into the kitchen, Seonho wrapped around his side and Guanlin playing with his hoodie. “See!” Seonho chirps. “Seongwoo helped.”

Dongho doesn’t respond, just looks at Seongwoo as if he’s trying to understand how the fuck Seongwoo got into this house. And Seongwoo just looks back, trying to understand how the fuck he ended up here. He swears he sees Dongho’s muscles flex under his shirt and Seongwoo is waiting for him to lunge at him, but Seonho’s skipping over to him, checking out the pan.

“How does it taste?” Seonho asks, taking the spatula from Seongwoo. “Did we do good?”

“Uh,” is all Seongwoo says, still staring at Dongho and wondering if he needs to find something to defend himself with.

“Seongwoo can eat with us, right?” Guanlin asks, peaking around Dongho.

Seonho gasps, turning to Dongho. “Yeah! We have enough room for him!”

Seongwoo now decides it’s a good time to start talking. “O-oh, no. I already ate-”

“It’s okay if Seongwoo eats with us, right?” Seongho asks, walking back over to him. “ _Please?_ ”

“Guys, i-it’s okay,” Seongwoo quickly says. “I already ate. I’m fine.” Both Seonho and Guanlin pout at him. “Uh, how about you guys eat, and I’ll leave?”

“If Seongwoo wants to go home, then let him,” Dongho says. There’s still pouting, but Dongho just chuckles and scratches behind Seonho’s ears. “I’m gonna put my stuff down. Can you set the table?” Seonho beams up at him, then skips over to the pantry and grabs some plates.

“Uh.” Seongwoo looks down at the japchae, almost done cooking. “I’ll...make sure this...gets done cooking?”

“Thanks,” Dongho says, giving Seongwoo a smile. Seongwoo blinks. _A smile?_ Who _is_ this Dongho? Seongwoo watches in awe as once again Dongho scratches behind Seonho’s ears again, then walks away.

What the fuck just happened.

Not only did Dongho _not_ kick his ass, he’s letting him stay in his house? With the stove on? With his _Cats_? He must have a bewildered expression, because Guanlin comes up to him, confused. “What?”

“Is Dongho always like that?”

Guanlin looks even more confused. “Like what?”

“Like -” How can Seongwoo explain it. “... _Nice?_ ”

Now Guanlin laughs. “Yeah, Dongho’s always nice.” He smiles. “He loves us a lot.”

As fucking cute as that is, Seongwoo still can’t believe it. “Yeah, but is he usually nice to everyone else?”

“We’ve never seen him _not_ nice,” Seonho pipes in. He takes a spoon from a drawer and sticks it into the pot of noodles. “But he’s not going around scratching other people’s ears.”

That was something that Seongwoo was curious about. “Uh, does scratching, like, mean something?”

Guanlin looks confused again, poor thing. “Scratching?”

“Yeah, like, behind your ears.”

“Oh.” Guanlin bites his lip, thoughtful. “I think it’s different with every Cat, but we like it. It’s like...I’m comfortable around you, y’know?” He shrugs. “Our ears are really sensitive, so most of the time we don’t like them being touched.”

“Unless it’s Dongho,” Seonho mumbles, sticking a spoonful of noodles in his mouth.

Oh shit. “So you shouldn’t just scratch a Cat’s ears? Without their permission?”

Seonho nods. “That’s scare them more than anything if they’re not expecting it from you.”

_Oh shit._

He never asked Daniel if it was okay to scratch his ears, Seongwoo just did it. What if Daniel wasn’t comfortable with it? What if this whole time Daniel wasn’t okay with Seongwoo scratching his ears but was just too nice to say something? What if -

“Are you two ready?”

Seonho and Guanlin perk up. “I think it’s done!” Seonho says, mouth still full of noodles.

Dongho walks in, having changed. “I can take it from here,” he says to Seongwoo. Seongwoo gladly lets him take over, stepping out of the way so Dongho can check on the japchae. Dongho turns to Seongwoo. “Thanks for helping out.”

“Uh,” Seongwoo gulps. “No problem.” As soon as Dongho takes the spatula from him, Seongwoo scurries off, walking back to the front door. Guanlin waves as he walks by, when Seongwoo remembers. “Oh.” He leans close to Guanlin. “Ask Dongho about the shelter tomorrow,” he whispers. Guanlin lights up and nods.

Seongwoo smiles back, then quickly leaves.

 

 

___________________

 

 

At this point, Seongwoo should be expecting the knocks on his door. He’s a bit bummed, because he had just put on sweatpants and a pajama top, but gets up from his couch and opens the door. He was expecting Guanlin or Seonho again, but this time it’s Dongho.

_Oh shit._

Dongho reaches out his hands, surprisingly not in a fist. “We had some leftovers,” he says, and hands Seongwoo a container. Seongwoo can smell the japchae. “Seonho and Guanlin thought you deserved some for helping out.”

“Uh, thanks,” Seongwoo says, slowly. There has to be a catch. What’s the catch? Is it poisoned? Dongho’s still not leaving, so he’s waiting for something to happen. “Do you...need something?” Seongwoo asks, slowly.

“Yeah, can you give me your number?”

Seongwoo nearly drops the japchae.

Dongho snorts at his reaction. “For _tomorrow_ , dumbass. You want to take Gaunlin and Seonho to the shelter? I want it in case there’s an emergency.”

_Oh._

That makes more sense.

Dongho’s chuckling now.  “You’re not really my type, anyway.”

Seongwoo doesn’t know whether to be relieved or offended. “Uh, okay,” he says, taking out his phone. This is officially the strangest day. “You’re _really_ going to let me take your Cats to the shelter?”

Dongho shrugs. “You’re a friend of a friend, people trust you. That’s good enough for me. And I taught Guanlin how to punch.” Dongho’s chuckling a bit to himself as he types Seongwoo’s number in. “And I know where you live.”

Yep, the japchae is definitely poisoned. “Uh, I’ll have them call you when we get there?”

“That’d be great.” Dongho gives Seongwoo a smile. “Thanks for taking them.”

“Uh, no problem.” Dongho gives a curt nod, then walks back to his apartment. Seongwoo’s just standing at his door, a little stunned at what just happened. Dongho didn’t beat him up. Was kind of nice to him. May or may not have threatened his life if Seongwoo does anything to his Cats. But was nice.

Seongwoo shakes his head. He really needs to lie down.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up this next chapter may be a little late. Papers and presentations and blah.  
> ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 400+ KUDOS LIKE YA'LL???? I AM NOT WORTHY????
> 
> First person to comment gets to face palm Seongwoo.

 

 

“Morning Seong-”

 _“Minhyun!”_ Seonho shrieks, jumping into Minhyun’s arms with a _thud_ as soon as he turns the corner. Minhyun’s knocked down to the floor and Seongwoo’s immediately regrets bringing Seonho and Guanlin.

Seongwoo quickly pries Seonho off of Minhyun. “Uh,” he looks to Minhyun. “Surprise?”

Minhyun blinks as he slowly sits up. “Seonho?” From next to him, Seonho beams, reaching over and giving Minhyun another hug. Minhyun looks boggled out of his mind, as if he can’t process that Seonho is hugging him. “Uh.” He looks up at Seongwoo, eyes shifting to Guanlin who’s standing next to him. _“Oh!”_ he exclaims, eyes lighting up. “Hey you two!” He finally gives Seonho a hug back, and Seonho’s tail wags. “What are you doing here?”

“Seongwoo brought us!” Seonho replies, cuddling himself into Minhyun’s shoulders.

Seongwoo clears his throat. “I, uh, thought it’d be a nice surprise?” Maybe he should have asked Minhyun if it was okay to bring Seonho and Guanlin.

“No, no this is a great surprise!” Minhyun gives Seonho another squeeze before standing up. Once on his feet, Minhyun gives Guanlin a hug as well.

“Hey Minhyun, what was -”

_“Jaehwan!”_

Thud.

Poor Jaehwan, who was just walking into the lobby from one of the back offices, now on the floor with a lap full of Seonho. Seongwoo’s really regretting bringing them.

“ _Oh no,_ who let you back in?” Jaehwan moans, exaggerated and playful. He flops back on the ground, dragging Seonho with him.

Seonho laughs, poking at Jaehwan. “Seongwoo brought us.”

Jaehwan quickly sits up, glaring. “It was _you._ ”

“Guilty as charged,” Seongwoo replies, sticking his tongue out. He turns to Guanlin. “Do you want to go up and see everyone?”

“Yes!” Seonho says, getting up off of Jaehwan and running up the stairs.

Minhyun sighs. “I’ll keep an eye on him,” he says, and he follows Seonho up.

As Guanlin walks by Jaehwan to follow them upstairs, the older frowns. “Did you grow taller?”

“Another three inches!” Guanlin replies, standing right next to Jaehwan and looking down at him.

Jaehwan scowls. “Why are all of you trees.” He tugs on Guanlin’s tail. “Stop making me look bad.” Guanlin just laughs and heads up the stairs. Once he’s closed the door, Jaehwan turns to Seongwoo. “Hey, I - _we_ \- never thanked you for helping Daniel last week.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies, a bit surprised at Jaehwan bringing it up. It’s been that long already? “It was nothing. I’m just glad that I was able to make him feel better.”

Jaehwan nods. “These past few adoptions have been getting harder on him.” He sighs, shaking his head. “He was a mess.”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo agrees, starting to feel a bit down just remembering. “And he told me about like...what happened to him before the shelter. So he definitely was upset.”

Jaehwan frowns. “He did what?”

“Uh, told me about how he...got here...” Was Daniel not supposed to do that? Shit, that may have been part of the confidentiality thing. Seonwoo hopes he’s not getting Daniel in trouble.

Jaehwan, though, doesn’t look mad. If anything, he looks shocked. “He... _told_ you?”  

“Yeah,” Seongwoo replies, now a bit panicked. “Should he not have? I swear I didn’t ask him to, he just told me.”

“No.” Jaehwan shakes his head. “It’s just...he’s never told _anyone._ ”

Seongwoo blinks. “What?”

“Yeah, only Boa knows. He’s never even told me or Minhyun. We just know it was... _bad._ ”

“Oh,” Seongwoo replies, unsure of what to do with this information. Daniel hadn’t event old Minhyun or Jaehwan, people he’s known and trusted for years. But he told Seongwoo. He told Seongwoo how he was abandoned, how alone he feels.  “Uh, do you want to know?”

Jaehwan shakes his head. “If Daniel wants us to know, he’d tell us.” This is the most serious that Jaehwan’s ever been around Seongwoo. “But that’s huge, Seongwoo. Daniel really trusts you.”

_Daniel trusts him._

Seongwoo tries to ignore the butterflies that flood his stomach at the thought of Daniel trusting him over Jaehwan and Minhyun.

A smile appears on Jaehwan’s lips. “He really does. And we really appreciate it.” The smile turns sly. “ _He_ really appreciates it.”

Well, more butterflies.

“I-I’m gonna go upstairs,” Seongwoo mumbles, hoping his face isn’t as red as it feels. Jaehwan just laughs as he goes, and yep, his face is red.

Upstairs, the Cats are loud, everyone speaking over each other to get Guanlin and Seonho’s attention. Guanlin’s happily laughing with Woojin, Jihoon, and Jinyoung, while Seonho’s sitting in Daehwi’s lap and chatting with him of the younger Cats. Daniel is among them, affectionately playing with Seonho’s ears. He’s got a bright smile, laughing at whatever they’re talking about, and Seongwoo feels his heart swell. It’s good to see Daniel smiling, especially since the last time Seongwoo saw him was when Euiwoong was adopted.

Daniel catches his eye and waves. “Come here!” he calls. Seongwoo’s not going to argue with that, so he sits himself next to Daniel. The Cat's hair is a bit messy from the excitment and Seongwoo tries to ignore how nice it looks. “I can’t believe you did this!” he says, his smile still bright.

“I, uh, just thought you’d like a surprise,” Seongwoo answers, smiling back. Daehwi snorts next to him, and Seongwoo realizes what he said. “ _Y-you all._ You all’d like the visit.”

“Smooth,” Daehwi says.

How is everyone suddenly so intuitive.

Seongwoo makes a mental note to never tell any of the Cats his secrets. “Actually, Niel,” he whispers to Daniel, leaning close so Daehwi and the other Cats don't’ hear. “Can I talk to you? Somewhere else?”

 For some reason, Daniel’s eyes go wide, a bit panicked. “O-okay,” he replies.

“It’s nothing bad!” Seongwoo assures. Did it sound bad? He totally didn't mean anything bad. “I just need to tell you something.”

Daniel still looks alarmed, but nods, letting Seongwoo help him up to his feet. Seongwoo walks them to the kitchen, away from the others and hopefully out of earshot. He takes a deep breath, then says “I, uh, just wanted to say I’m so sorry. I didn’t know about scratching your ears.”

Daniel blinks, slow, as if he’s processing what Seongwoo said. “Huh?”

"Your ears,” Seongwoo replies. “I didn’t know how, like-” He pauses, trying to find the right words. “Seonho and Guanlin told me that they’re really sensitive and Cats don’t want people touching it unless they were really comfortable around them, and I kind of just did it and I didn’t ask, and now I feel so bad because I should have asked you before I went ahead and scratched them and now I -”

“ _Seongwoo!_ ” Daniel giggles, a smile now on his face. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“Oh.” He blinks. “It’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Daniel replies, still smiling. “I...I like it when you scratch my ears.”

“Oh.” Seongwoo says again. That’s good. Daniel likes it when he scratches his ears. Daniel _likes it_ when _Seongwoo_ is the one scratching _his_ ears. That’s good. They can end it like that, no need for more words or - “I, uh, like scratching them, too.”

Silence falls between them and Seongwoo’s never felt more awkward in his life, because he just admitted to Daniel that he likes scratching his ears and that’s apparently a big fucking deal to Cats, and Daniel said he can and that he _likes it_ when Seongwoo does it, and Seongwoo thinks that they kind of just had a _moment_ and not a friend moment either, this was a _moment_ moment and now Seongwoo’s just looking at Daniel whose cheeks are turning pink and his hair’s still a bit messy but he looks really, really good right now and Seongwoo feels his heart beating faster the more he thinks about this and -

“We have a problem!”

Daniel laughs when Seongwoo _jumps_ , knocking himself into Daniel’s body. “ _Jesus,_ ” he shrieks, whipping his head and glaring at Daehwi who’s just standing there, acting all innocent.

“What’s the problem?” Daniel chuckles, wrapping an arm around Seongwoo when the latter starts teetering on his feet and welp, it feels nice.

“We can’t find my purple notebook.”

Daehwi’s purple notebook is Very Important. It's a journal he write religiously in, full of secrets and probably plots to take over the world. Daehwi looks between the two of them. “Did...I interrupt something?”

“Uh,” Seongwoo looks up at Daniel, who’s still hugging him. “No, no we’re done. I’ll, uh-” Seongwoo straightens out, away from Daniel’s hold. “Check downstairs.” 

Daniel smiles, cheeks still pink. “I’ll look upstairs.”

Seongwoo nods, and heads across the room, briefly curious as to why Daehwi is pulling Daniel aside again with wide eyes and perked ears, but knows that the sooner he finds the notebook, the sooner that Daehwi will be satisfied and the sooner he can get back to watching Seonho and Guanlin. And Daniel, with his still messy hair.

_Fuck._

This is getting out of hand.

He walks downstairs, and starts his search at the front desk. Jaehwan’s not there, so Seongwoo checks under the chair and desk, and around the sides. When nothing comes up, he starts popping his head in conference rooms, in case Daehwi left it in one of them. All he’s coming up with though are dust bunnies. Seongwoo huffs, running out of places to look.

The last place is his and Daehwi’s work office, even though Seongwoo knows Daehwi doesn’t really step into the office. But Seongwoo goes to check anyway, just to make sure. So down the hall he goes, passing by the front desk, the other offices, Minhyun and Jaehwan, finally to his office and -

Seongwoo whips his head, peeking into one of the small closets where they shelter’s copier and fax machine are held and, yep, he definitely wasn’t hallucinating. There’s Jaehwan pressed up against the wall and Minhyun running a hand up his shirt.

 _What the fuck_.

He did not see that coming.

But now it does make sense how Minhyun was ignoring his advances when he first started working here, and Jaehwan never so much as glanced at his ass even in his best jeans. Notebook long forgotten, Seongwoo scurries upstairs, hopefully quiet enough that Jaehwan and Minhyun don’t hear him.

Daniel intercepts him as soon as he makes it up the stairs. “Hey, did you find-” Daniel pauses when he sees Seongwoo’s face. “What?”

Seongwoo’s still in shock. “How long has Minhyun been sneaking around kissing Jaehwan?”

Daniel doesn’t seem to understand what he’s talking about at first. After a few moments, his eyes light up. “Oh! They’ve been dating for a while.” His face turns thoughtful. “Since last year?”

Damn. Even before Seongwoo starting volunteering. How did he not see it? Their bickering, Minhyun’s extra patience, how Jaehwan always seemed to know just how to press Minhyun’s buttons...

He’s been so blind.

Seongwoo scowls. “I fucking knew Jaehwan didn’t make those cakes himself.”

 Daniel laughs.

  
  


___________________

  
  
  


“Hey you two,” Dongho greets, giving both Seonho and Guanlin hugs. “How was everyone?”

“Great!” Seonho exclaims, kicking off his shoes. “Everyone was super happy to see us. And Seongwoo and Daniel took us for some ramen after!”

Dongho’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “Oh did they?” He looks over to Seongwoo.

“Uh, I hope you don’t mind,” Seongwoo mumbles, a bit sheepish. “Seonho was hungry.”

“Daniel, too?” Dongho replies, a smirk on his face.

From his tone, he’s totally fucking with Seongwoo, but that doesn’t stop Seongwoo from feeling his cheeks heat up and spurting something along the lines of “H-he hadn’t e-eaten all day!”

But Dongho just rolls his eyes. “Alright you two-” He turns to the Cats. “Homework.” Both Cats pout, but they run off. Dongho turns back to Seongwoo. “Thanks again for taking them.”

“N-no problem,” Seongwoo replies, still feeling a bit red in the face. “And uh, you wouldn’t be looking to adopt another Cat, would you?”

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “Not really. I already kind of have my hands full. Why?”

“Oh, uh…” Of course Dongho wouldn’t be looking for another Cat, not with Guanlin and Seonho to keep track of. Seongwoo’s an idiot. “I’m asking around for Daniel.”

“Oh.” Dongho pauses, surprise back on his face. After a few moments, he shrugs. “Well, I can ask some friends on the music side.”

“Thanks,” Seongwoo replies.

Dongho nods back, biting his lip as if to keep himself from speaking. He’s just staring at Seongwoo and to be honest it’s kind of creeping Seongwoo out, but eventually he just sighs and closes the door in Seongwoo’s face.

Not even a goodbye.

  
  


___________________

  
  
  


The next day at a photoshoot, Seongwoo tugs on Sungwoon’s sleeve. “Hey Sungwoon, can I talk to you for a second?”

Sungwoon’s ears immediately perk up. “Sure!” he says, walking out of the closet and following Seongwoo down the hall. Once they’re out of the busy hallways of stylists and staff, Seongwoo turns to him. “Do you know anyone who may be interested in adopting a Cat?”

That catches Sungwoon off guard. “Oh,” he says slowly. He frowns, thinking. “I don’t think so.”

 _Damn._ It was a long shot, but Seongwoo was still hoping. “If you think of anyone, let me know.”

Sungwoon cocks his head. “What for?”

Seongwoo frowns. “Daniel. I really want to help him out.” He sighs. “No one’s adopting him, and he’s going to age out of the shelter at the end of the year.”

Sungwoon’s eyes get soft, and his ears droop. “Oh no.”

“Yeah, I really want to find him a good home. He deserves it.”

Sungwoon nods. “I can ask around,” he says, giving Seongwoo a smile. “Maybe Taehyun knows someone.”

Seongwoo smiles back. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Sungwoon nods again. “No problem. I’d love to help Daniel.”

Seongwoo definitely is going to get Sungwoon something nice for his birthday.

He spends the rest of his afternoon asking the staff he knows and trusts about Daniel. Most of the staff already have kids or huge responsibilities. Others do seem interested, especially those who met Daniel when he was at the Line shoot, while others offered to ask their friends. It makes Seongwoo feel a little better that word is getting out.

He stops feeling better when he sees Minki in his dressing room. He glares. “If you’re here to ask me for Daniel’s number, you can just leave.”

“No, I’m not here for Daniel’s number,” Minki replies, with a smirk. “I actually got it from Dongho, who got it from Minhyun.”

Seongwoo chokes.

“Hold your horses there, cowboy.” Minki smiles up at him. “I was fucking with you the whole time. I have no interest in Daniel.” He pauses. “But he _is_ adorable.”

Seongwoo scoffs at that. “That’s bullshit.”

Minki frowns. “I was! I swear!”

“You’ve been up my ass the past three weeks about him.”

“Well, because I was hoping it’d kick _your_ ass in gear.”

“Huh?” Seongwoo frowns, confused. Kick his ass in gear over what?

Minki raises an eyebrow. “About your not-so-secret admirer?”

“I don’t follow.”

“Oh for fucks sake…” Minki runs a hand down his face. “Daniel likes you,” he deadpans.

Seongwoo blinks. “What was that?” He must not have heard Minki. It almost sounded like he said that -

“The kid has a massive crush on you. Like, it’s disgusting how cute he gets about you.”

Seongwoo blinks again. He really must not be hearing Minki correctly.

Minki snorts and rolls his eyes when Seongwoo doesn’t answer. “All he did when I was doing your makeup was talk about how _nice_ you were, how _funny_ you were, and how _good_ you looked. And I thought _you_ were obvious about your pining.”

That gets Seongwoo talking. “I-I...am not _pining!_ ” he whines, even though he can feel his face heat up and his heart beating faster at the thought of Daniel having a _crush_ on him. Sure, he laughs at a lot of stupid things Seongwoo says and likes it when Seongwoo scratches his ears, but that doesn’t mean he has a _crush_ on Seongwoo.

“Seongwoo, I can see the hearts in your eyes whenever you talk about him. You buy him things because you think he’d like it. You’re going out of your way to find Daniel a good home. You’ve got it _bad._ ” Minki pauses, thoughtful. “I think worse than him. And _that’s_ saying something.”

“I-I-” But Seongwoo doesn’t even know what to say, because he’s slowly thinking back to all of the time he spent with Daniel: how Daniel would get shy around him, how he was especially bright and giggly around him; especially now that Seongwoo knows about his ears, about how must trust he puts in Seongwoo. What he thought was just Daniel being friendly, was Daniel’s feelings.

_Daniel likes him._

“D-did Daniel s-say anything, like, to you?” Seongwoo asks, trying to keep his voice level and his heart from pounding out of his chest.

“No,” Minki says, shaking his head. “But neither if you are subtle. So my advice is just ask the kid out and move on with-”

“I-I’m just looking for a home for him,” Seongwoo quickly interrupts.

Minki raises an eyebrow. “Really, that’s what you're coming up with?” Seongwoo doesn’t reply, just looks down at his shoes, because yes, all he wants is for Daniel to find a good home. All he wants is to be a good _friend_. He can hear Minki scoff. “Fine, fine. I’ll play along. If you want to help Daniel find a good family, I’ll help too.”

“Thanks,” Seungwoo mumbles.

“Whatever,” Minki mumbles back, standing up. He mumbles something about “Humans” before walking out of the dressing room, leaving Seongwoo alone with his thoughts. Though there’s only one thing that keeps repeating in his head:

He’s fucked.

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the popularity of the last race, first comment gets to face palm Seongwoo :)

 

 

Seongwoo’s lying in bed, one thing running through his mind:

_Daniel likes him._

Daniel may or may not have a crush on him.

And he couldn’t have fucked up more.

Daniel wasn’t supposed to get a crush on him. This wasn’t part of the original plan. Seongwoo was just hoping someone would like him as a person, maybe can say good things about him if they were asked by anyone. But a crush is a problem, especially if it’s Daniel crushing on him.

Because there’s a chance that Daniel will get hurt.

Seongwoo takes his pillow and stuffs it against his face, screaming. Why does this all have to be so _frustrating?_ Any other time, a crush would be great, especially if it’s someone like Daniel: someone nice, someone funny, someone definitely easy on the eyes. But not in this case. If Seongwoo does end up using the shelter and his volunteer experience as a means of getting ahead, then Daniel may think that Seongwoo was just being nice to use him.

Which is totally _not_ what Seongwoo wants Daniel to think because Seongwoo really was being nice to Daniel, because he likes Daniel. Not like _that_ kind of like, no no no he likes Daniel like a _friend,_ like it’s totally normal for Seongwoo to feel giddy around Daniel and like the way he looks and wants good things for Daniel. It’s totally normal for Seongwoo to keep thinking back at how pretty Daniel’s pink cheeks look and his eyes when he smiles, and how Seongwoo’s heart skips a beat when he thinks about Daniel liking him scratching Daniel’s ears and -

He screams again in the pillow.

Jisung’s right: this is going a lot farther than Seongwoo planned. This is getting too personal. And the last thing Seongwoo wants to do is hurt Daniel if this were to bow up in his face.

Seongwoo takes the pillow off his face. Okay, he needs to change plans. Being too nice caused Daniel to get a crush him, and if he wants Daniel not to get hurt, he needs Daniel to _un-crush_ him.

So, Seongwoo’s going to take Jisung’s advice. Seongwoo is going to remain professional around Daniel.

 

 

__________

 

 

“Hey Seongwoo, can you pass me the folder?”

Seongwoo silently passes over the folder filled with assignments to Daniel, making sure to keep his eyes on his own computer. It doesn’t do much though, because Seongwoo can _feel_ Daniel’s eyes on him, looking confused and a bit upset.

After a few minutes of silence, Seongwoo hears a soft, “Is everything okay?”

Seongwoo tries not to wince as Daniel’s tone. He gives in and looks over to Daniel, who - yep - looks upset. “Y-yeah, of course,” Seongwoo lies. He gives Daniel a soft smile, hoping that it looks convincing.

It doesn’t, and Daniel still looks down. “Did…” Daniel bites his lips. “Did I do something wrong? I didn’t make you uncomfortable with the ears thing, did I?” Daniel’s ears flop, and there’s genuine hurt on his face.

_Fuck._

“N-no, no!” Seongwoo quickly assures, now feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. “I, just, er…” What is he going to say.

To be honest, this kind of was Seongwoo’s plan. He thought that if he just be less nice to Daniel, just not be as touchy or open as usual, maybe the crush would end. But by the look on Daniel’s face, this was the absolute _worst_ thing he could have done because Daniel looks so hurt.

Yep, this definitely backfired.

“I…” _C’mon idiot, think of something!_ “I...just have this huge audition next week, so I have a lot on my mind.”

Immediately, Daniel relaxes. His body loosens and his ears perk back up, and Seongwoo silently thanks the higher powers for making him such a good actor. “That’s exciting,” Daniel says, now smiling at Seongwoo. “What’s the audition for?”

“It’s a drama. A murder mystery.”

“Oh! That sounds really cool.” Daniel’s tail begins wagging, and he moves his chair to see Seongwoo better. “Are you nervous?”

“A bit,” Seongwoo admits. “I don’t usually get nervous, but...I _really_ want this role.”  

Daniel smiles again at him. “You’re going to do great,” he says. “I know you’ll get it.”

Welp, here come the butterflies.

Seongwoo coughs, trying to fight the urge to do something unprofessional - like scratch Daniel’s ears or something less innocent. He mumbles a “Thanks,” to Daniel, before ducking back behind his computer, willing his mind to focus on work. It, of course, betrays him, and Seongwoo takes a peak over his computer. Daniel’s ears have flopped again, his smile turned to a dark frown.

He lasts about three more seconds before reaching over and scratching in Daniel’s favorite spot. Daniel lights right up, smiling at Seongwoo and leaning more into his hand.

Okay, so tomorrow - tomorrow Seongwoo will be more professional around Daniel.

 

 

__________

 

 

(Tomorrow)

“Hey Seongwoo!” Daniel greets when Seongwoo walks into the office. “You _have_ to see this!”

Seongwoo puts his jacket on his chair, sitting and rolling over to Daniel’s desk. It’s some internet video that Daniel found, but Seongwoo doesn’t remember much of it. He’s too busy watching how Daniel’s eyes crinkle when he laughs.

 

 

__________

 

 

(The day after)

Seongwoo’s monitoring the Cats as they clean their rooms, tossing out garbage and rearranging furniture in lieu of the warming weather. Minhyun is just in charge of Daniel and his room, so Seongwoo helps with some of the less messy Cats. When helping Jihoon move his desk, he catches a familiar valentine tacked onto a board on the wall, hidden behind some pictures. “Who’s that from?” Seongwoo asks, trying to hid the knowing smile that wants to appear.

“Don’t know,” Jihoon answers, the shyest Seongwoo’s seen him. “They didn’t sign.”

Seongwoo doesn’t say anything else, but does wonder if Daniel would have turned the same color pink of Seongwoo had made a valentine for him.

 

 

__________

 

 

(Three days later)

After spending the afternoon chasing around Woojin and Jihoon, and helping Jinyoung and Daehwi make a fort out of pillows and blankets, Seongwoo collapses in the middle of the living room. He somehow falls asleep, and wakes up an hour later with a blanket thrown over him and a pillow underneath his head. He sits up, confused and sore from the floor, wondering where the blanket came from.

He catches eyes with Jinyoung sitting at the kitchen table. Jinyoung points next to Seongwoo, who looks over and finds Daniel lying next to him, snoring. Seongwoo probably should get up and actually do work, but he had a late night. So he lies back down and snuggles back into the blanket, enjoying the extra body heat Daniel gives off.

 

 

__________

 

 

(The next week)

While out grocery shopping, Seongwoo passes by the shampoo aisle and catches sight of the brand that the shelter uses. Seongwoo thinks back and remembers that Daniel mentioned he was nearly the end of his favorite shampoo. So Seongwoo puts a few bottles in his cart to bring the shelter later that afternoon. After all, he really likes the scent of this brand on Daniel.

 

 

__________

 

 

Seongwoo’s doing a shit job at trying to remain professional.

 

 

__________

 

 

 

**Niel~**

I hope I don’t make you more nervous but

you’re going to do amazing at your

audition :)))

10:25AM

  


**Niel~**

Call me when you’re done!! I want

to hear all about it :)))

10:27AM

 

  
“Daniel again?” Jonghyun asks.

Seongwoo chokes a bit, looking at Jonghyun in alarm. “W-what gave it away?” He really hopes that his cheeks aren’t pink because how embarrassing would that be.

“You’re smiling.”

Seongwoo frowns. “I always smile.”

“Not at your phone,” Jonghyun chuckles. “If it was Jisung, you’d have this sour look on your face.”

“Because Jisung has been up my ass lately.”

Jonghyun chuckles again. “All I’m saying is, you’re extra smiley when Daniel texts you.”

“O-oh…” Seongwoo looks down at his phone, then quickly turns it off and tucks it in his pocket. How embarrassing that Jonghyun caught him failing at trying to be professional. But to be honest, texting Daniel has been calming his nerves. Daniel keeps sending him funny pictures of memes, and a few of himself making faces, and it’s kept Seongwoo’s mind off of the audition and all of the things that could go wrong.

He sighs to himself. This is the opposite of what he needs to do. He sighs again, looking over to Jonghyun, who’s frowning back at him. “What?”

“You didn’t have to put your phone away,” Jonghyun replies.

Yes he did. “I, uh, need to focus anyway,” Seongwoo mumbles back, slumping a bit in his seat.  

Jonghyun’s still frowning at him, definitely not convinced at Seongwoo’s excuse. But in the end, he just sighs. “Has anyone reached out to adopt Daniel?” he eventually asks.

That puts Seongwoo even more in a bad mood. “No. No one yet,” he murmurs. So far, no one has gotten back to him about Daniel. He’s asked around several times, but nothing is coming back. This person’s too busy, that person doesn’t want a Cat, the other one doesn’t have the funds to house one more person...nothing is going to come out of this. Seongwoo doesn’t want to lose hope, but he’s running out of ideas of people to ask.

Jonghyun hums in response. “Hopefully someone will soon.”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo replies, for for himself than Jonghyun. Someone will find Daniel. Someone. They have to.

“But, have you ever thought of -”

“Ong Seongwoo?”

Both Jonghyun and Seongwoo look over to a staff member who’s peeking her head out of the door. It’s time.

Jonghyun looks back to Seongwoo. “Knock ‘em dead,” he encourages.

Seongwoo takes a deep breath and stands up, following the staff member into the audition room.

 

 

__________

 

 

“I didn’t throw up on myself, so that was a plus.”

“I’m glad you didn’t embarrass yourself,” Jisung chuckles through the phone. “How did the producers look? Did they seem interested?”

Seongwoo picks up his bottle of beer. “One kept writing notes on his notepad. And another one kept looking into the monitors.” He pauses to take a drink. “And the other two just watched me.”

“Well, it sounds like you nailed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear about a call back later this week.”

That makes Seongwoo’s heart thump. He really did leave the audition feeling confident, better than any other audition he’s done. He didn’t stumble over any lines, got a few reactions from the staff, and all of the producers seemed interested. If a producer kept writing notes, he’s keeping track of his thoughts on Seongwoo’s performance. If another is looking at the monitors, he’s looking at how Seongwoo looks on camera. Everything seemed to go as well as it could have, and Seongwoo’s really feeling good about all of this.

Of course, as soon as he got home he called Daniel, except it went straight to voicemail. Seongwoo left an enthusiastic message and told Daniel to call him back when he had time. He’s probably helping with dinner for the Cats.

“Anyway,” Jisung continues. “You need to take a few more pictures for me, you’re feed is -”

Seongwoo stops listening when he hears a knock at his door. “Someone’s at my door,” he tells Jisung.

“I have to get some stuff done anyway,” Jisung responds. “Good job today. Call me if you hear anything back!”

Seongwoo says he will and hangs up, then walks over to his door. Once again, he finds his mind hoping it’s Daniel.

And once again, it’s not.

“Hey,” Dongho greets.

Well shit.

“Uh, hey,” Seongwoo greets back, unsure why Dongho’s standing at his front door. He didn’t promise to take Seonho or Guanlin anywhere right? No, definitely not. And he definitely returned the plastic container he borrowed a few weeks ago. He hasn’t played any music in a while. Was the television on too loud last night?

Dongho snorts, probably at Seongwoo’s confused expression. “Just wanted to let you know I may have found someone who’s interested in adopting Daniel.”

Oh.

_Oh._

_“W-what?”_ Seongwoo gasps.   

“Yeah, my buddy Aron. He’s on the music side with me.”

Someone may want to adopt Daniel. Seongwoo feels his heart swell. _Someone may want to adopt Daniel._ Seongwoo finds himself at a loss for words, not believing that there may be a future for Daniel, and Dongho must sense this. He snorts at Seongwoo’s breakdown. “I told him about Daniel, and he went to the shelter earlier today to meet him. Said it went well.” He shrugs. “So yeah. He’s thinking about it.”

Seongwoo blinks. This is actually happening. Daniel may be getting a home. “W-what’s Aron like?”

Dongho shrugs again. “Nice. His jokes are a bit lame, but he’s a good person.”

He’s nice. He’s a good person. If Dongho can say good things about him, then he must be someone that can be trusted. But still... “D-do you think he’s good for _Daniel?_ ”

“Can’t say for sure,” Dongho replies. “You’d know better than I would.”

Oh. Seongwoo supposes that makes sense. He _does_ know Daniel better than Dongho. “Anyway, ask Daniel next time you see him,” Dongho continues.  

Seongwoo can do that. He _is_ scheduled the day after tomorrow. “Yeah, I can do that.” He gives Dongho an awkward smile. “Thanks for telling me.”

“No problem.” Dongho smiles back. He gives Seongwoo a nod, and then walks back over to his apartment.

Seongwoo shuts his door, pausing before he moves. _Someone may want to adopt Daniel._ And from the sound of it, someone who could give Daniel a good home. It’s a lot to take in, and Seongwoo walks back to the couch, downing the rest of his beer in one go. It’s a lot, but it’s great. This could be it.

He flings himself onto the couch. Okay, so it’s great, but Seongwoo doesn’t know Aron. The name sounds a bit familiar, but Seongwoo can’t put a face to it. And sure, Dongho may speak praises about him, but Seongwoo’s can’t just go off of what Dongho says. What if Aron is only nice to Dongho, but mean to Daniel? What if Aron doesn’t like watching Spiderman, or manga, or like ramen? What if Daniel doesn’t like _him?_

Seongwoo huffs. He’s not going to let just anybody try to adopt Daniel. Hell no.

He’s going to size this Aron up himself.

 

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First commenter gets to cuddle Daniel on this snowy day ~  
> Everyone else can smack Seongwoo.

 

 

 

 

_Thwack._

It’s been a while since Seongwoo’s been hit in the face with flying projectiles.

 _“Gotcha!”_ he hears Daniel laugh from behind the front desk.

As soon as he hears Daniels’ breathy laugh, Seongwoo collapses against the wall. _“I’ve been hit!”_ he cries, slowly dragging his body down to the floor. He revels in the sound of Daniel’s laughter getting louder, before being hit with another mystery object. He cranes his neck to where the object bounced behind him - a gummy bear. He frowns. “I thought you were cut off from jellies?”

“I live on the edge. I break rules.”

That has Seongwoo snorting with laughter, because Daniel’s saying this while wearing a light pink sweater and a fluffy blanket wrapped around his shoulders. “You’re going to give yourself more cavities.”

Daniel frowns back. “These are sugar free though!”

“You still can get cavities.”

Now Daniel looks panicked, eyes widening as he looks down at his bag of gummies. “I can?” he whines.

Seongwoo chuckles. “Yeah, if you eat a lot.” He gets up from the floor. “But one pack should be fine.”

Daniel looks back up. “This is my third.”

Now Seongwoo laughs outright. He doesn’t mean to, but between Daniel’s naivety and the sad, guilty look on his face, it’s too cute _not_ to laugh. “Maybe make this your last,” he says, walking over to the front desk. “And brush your teeth after.”

“I shouldn’t have trusted Woojin,” Daniel mumbles. He looks at the gummies, before tossing the rest of the pack in the trash.

Seongwoo tries to keep himself laughing again. “How about we get you some actual lunch instead of just jellies?” he asks, instinctively reaching out to scratch Daniel’s ears. Daniel still looks a bit sour, but he leans into Seongwoo’s touch like he normally would. “Want to go up now?”

“Can’t,” Daniel replies. “I’m watching the front desk today. Jaehwan called out sick.”

“Oh.” That does explain why Daniel is here instead of Jaehwan. “Do you want me to make you something and bring it down?”

“I’m kind of full from the jellies…” Daniel mumbles, turning a bit pink, but his embarrassment quickly changes to a bright smile. “But I want to hear how your audition went!”

Oh right. He never did speak to Daniel about his audition.

“It went really well,” Seongwoo grabs a chair from the conference room and rolls himself over next to Daniel. “Like, the best it could have gone.”

Daniel nods along. “Were there other people there?”

“Actors? Yeah, a few others.” He was sitting in the waiting room with a few others.

“What do you do in an audition?”

“I act from the scripts they give out to the actors. You saw the one I had with me.”

Daniel nods again. “And I helped!” he says, tail wagging.

“Yeah, you helped,” Seongwoo chuckles, reaching over to scratch his ears again. “And...they had me do some improvisation, like...what do you think the character would do in this situation. Then they have you just stand in different angles to see how you look on camera.” He scrunches his nose. “That part’s the worst since you don’t know if you’re coming out well on camera or not.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that,” Daniel replies.

Seongwoo raises an eyebrow “Oh?”

A cheeky smile forms on Daniels’ face. “You always look good.”

_Oh._

Who taught Daniel to flirt like that, Seongwoo has a few words for them.

Seongwoo also has a few words for himself since if Daniel’s flirting with him his plan to have Daniel un-crush him is not working, and really at this point Seongwoo might as well give up, he’s spent the past week trying to be neutral to Daniel and that lasted all of a half hour before Seongwoo felt like shit for making Daniel upset but he still doesn’t want Daniel to get hurt if things go wrong so at this point he should just think of a different plan that involves Daniel flirting with him, because his heart is racing and his cheeks are definitely turning pink and he can’t even deny how much he’s enjoying Daniel looking at him with that coy little smile of his and -

He’s thankfully saved by the stair door opening and Minhyun walking out. “Oh, hi Seongwoo!” he says.

Seongwoo clears his throat. _“H-hi,”_ he squeaks, hoping Minhyun doesn’t notice his suffering.

But Minhyun gets _that look_ in his eyes and Seongwoo wants to _die,_ why does everyone seem to know when Seongwoo’s having an internal crisis about Daniel? “Daniel, have you been teasing Seongwoo?” Minhyun playfully asks.

“Just a bit,” Daniel replies, sending another cheeky smile to Seongwoo, who turns a darker shade of mortification. Daniel is being too forward for his own good. Seongwoo really may end up doing something stupid - like accidentally throw himself on Daniel’s lap.

“Well, don’t tease him too hard,” Minhyun continues. “We need him around a little longer.” He sends a wink to Seongwoo before walking back to the offices. “Oh!” He turns back to Daniel. “Don’t forget that Aron is visiting again tonight.”

Immediately, Daniel’s sits up straighter and his ears perk in attention. “I didn’t forget!” he says back. “Is going to help with dinner again?”  

“Yeah, so make sure he knows where everything goes this time,” Minhyun calls as he walks back to the offices.

What.

Seongwoo turns to Daniel. “Aron’s _volunteering_ here?”

“Oh, no.” Daniel shakes his head. “He just was here when it was dinner time, so he helped out since Jaehwan or you weren’t here.” He pauses, now confused. “How do you know Aron?”

Oh right. As far as Daniel knows, Seongwoo has never heard of Aron. “Uh, Dongho told me about him.” Seongwoo leaves out the part where Dongho mentions Aron may be interested in adopting Daniel. That’s not something Daniel needs to know just yet. “But, I, uh, don’t know him. What’s he like?” he says, quickly changing the subject.

“Oh!” Daniel smiles again. “He’s nice.”

Daniel thinks he’s nice, okay. Good, but not good enough. “Just nice?” Seongwoo asks, leaning closer to Daniel. “What else?”

“Uh…he has a good sense of humor. And he was a big help during dinner.”

Seongwoo hums. “What does everyone else think?”

“So far he gets along with everyone really well.” Daniel pauses, thoughtful. “And I think everyone found him nice, too.”

Seongwoo raises an eyebrow. “Even Woojin and Jihoon?”

 _“Yes,”_ Daniel giggles. “Woojin and Jihoon are nice to him.”

“So they just beat me up for _fun?”_ Seongwoo pouts. He always knew those two were out to get him.

Daniel giggles again. “It’s only because they like you _more_ that they beat you up.”

That doesn’t make Seongwoo feel any better. “But if they like Aron, why don’t they beat up on _him.”_

“They don’t know him as well?” Danie shrugs. “We’ve only know him for two days. We first met him on Friday.”

“Oh,” is Seongwoo’s reply. That makes sense. But still. Jihoon and Woojin could at least _not_ make Seongwoo’s life miserable whenever he’s at the shelter. He leaves bruised quite often and he has to explain to Jisung that no, he’s not bruised from scandalous activity, but keeping up with two Kittens. Though, that would be a good test to put this Aron through. See how he deals with Jihoon and Woojin being rough with him. If he loses patience or gets annoyed he’s _definitely_ not the right person for Daniel and Seongwoo would definitely -

Wait. Friday. Aron was here Friday for dinner. Friday was Seongwoo’s audition. The pieces click together and Seongwoo finds himself frowning. “I guess that’s why you never called me back...” he mumbles.

Daniel tilts his head. “I didn’t call you…” he mumbles back in confusion. But then his eyes are widening in realization and gasps, _“Damn it,_ I knew I forgot something!” He whips out his phone and fumbles with it. “I’m _so sorry,_ you called during dinner and then I was helping Aron with the dishes and I completely forgot and -”

 _“Niel,_ it’s okay,” Seongwoo responds, a bit panicked at Daniel’s reaction. He didn’t mean to make Daniel feel sorry about not calling him back. “I knew I’d see you today, anyway.”

Daniel’s still frowning, upset. “I feel _awful._ You were probably so excited and I blew you off.” His ears flop.

Why is Seongwoo constantly the biggest piece of shit on Earth? He reaches and scratches Daniel’s ears again. “It’s _fine,”_ Seongwoo assures again. He’s not upset at Daniel. Sure, he wanted to speak to  him, but Seongwoo had a feeling that Daniel was busy and didn’t think twice about not getting a call back. He really has no idea why he brought it up anyway.  Seongwoo sighs. “I’m sorry for making you feel bad,” he says.

Daniel’s ears are still flopping, so Seongwoo leans in, putting on a goofy face. _“Im sowwy,”_ he whines, sounding like a character straight out of _Pororo_ . He watches as Daniel’s lips quiver, breaking out into a smile after a few seconds. _“Dats better.”_

“You’re so embarrassing,” Daniel replies, sticking his tongue out. His ears are turning red, which Seongwoo takes as a good sign.

“I’m only embarrassing for _you,_ ” Seongwoo sings, poking Daniel’s cheek. Daniel’s ears turn redder, and his smile gets more bashful. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’s reminded of the whole _un-crush_ plan, but if Daniel’s feeling upset, Seongwoo is abso-fucking-lutely going to make him feel better. So he gives Daniel a smile. “How about some lunch?”

  
  


__________________

  


Did I leave my cell phone charger there yesterday?  
8:42PM

 **Niel ^_^**  
I’ll check :)  
8:44PM

 

 **Niel ^_^**  
We don’t see it :(  
9:01PM

Damn.  
9:02PM

 

 **Niel ^_^**  
Aron even checked outside in case you  
dropped it :((((  
9:01PM

Oh.  
9:02PM

 

That’s nice of him.  
9:02PM

 

No worries though. I’ll ask Jisung if I left it at  
his place.  
9:02PM

 **Niel ^_^**  
Let me know if you find it!!!  
9:01PM

  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Infinity Wars just got moved up a week!  
With Robert Downey Jr. convincing Marvel  
To release the movie early :)  
7:02PM

 

NOW TRY TO COME AT IRONMAN  
7:02PM

 **Niel ^_^  
**  
I KNOW!!!!  
11:21PM

 

**Niel ^_^**

WE SAW!!!!!!!!!!  
11:22PM

 

**Niel ^_^**

Sorry it’s late >< I just got home  
11:22PM

It’s okay I’m up!  
11:22PM

 

What were you doing? Causing trouble?  
11:23PM

**Niel ^_^**

Yes >:)  
11:24PM

 

**Niel ^_^**

Me Jaehwan and Aron took some of the Kittens to  
the movies and we just got back!!  
11:24PM

Oh. Nice.  
11:25PM

 

But we’re gonna go see IW right?  
11:25PM

 

**Niel~**

Yes!!!!! :)  
11:26PM

  


__________________

  


I haven’t heard anything back about the audition :(  
9:42AM

 

They said it may take up to 2 weeks but ><  
1:45PM

 

Niel?  
6:23PM

**Niel~**

SORRY I KEEP FORGETTING  
TO ANSWER :(((((  
7:01PM

 

**Niel~**

BUT YOU’RE GOING TO GET IT!!!  
I KNOW YOU WILL!!!!! :DDD  
7:03PM

It’s fine. Things busy there?  
Do you need me to stop by?  
7:04PM

**Niel~**

I think we’re good. Aron’s here. :)  
But you can come if you want!!  
7:05PM

Nah, it’s fine.  
I’ll see you next week!  
7:10

  
  
  
  


__________________

  
  


“Just shake a few hands, charm a few people, and you’ll be out of here,” Jisung tells Seongwoo as they walk into the restaurant. It’s a pretty upscale place nestled in Gangnam, one that Seongwoo’s only ever been to once, at another business meeting. He’s thankful that Jisung’s with him this time around - Jisung’s good at small talk and schmoozing corporate workers. As much as Seongwoo loves a well dressed man, he always finds himself awkward in front of higher ups.

Even just thinking about it, Seongwoo’s tugging at his shirt collar. “It better be soon. I’m sweating through my shirt.”

Jisung snorts and rolls his eyes. “I’ll go see if they’re ready for you.”

Seongwoo sighs as he watches Jisung walk towards the back of the restaurant. He could really use a drink right now, but he’s not risking getting tipsy before meeting with these producers. While not for the drama he auditioned for, some of these producers are friends of a friend who can put in a good word for him. And Seongwoo can use any help he can get.

Walking to the bar, he leans up against the counter and asks the bartender for some water. As he drinks, he scans the restaurant, trying to keep his mind off of his meeting. Maybe someone he knows from work is here - this is a pretty popular spot for Fantagio employees. Hopefully Eunwoo’s not here because he really doesn’t need _that_ kind of stress on top of everything else. Luckily, all he sees are new faces, maybe some people he may have seen around the office.

There’s even a few Cats here. There’s a group at a table by one of the windows, one with blonde ears tucked in a corner, a few more scattered around the restaurant -

Wait a minute.

He knows those blonde ears.

Seongwoo cranes his neck and - yep, that’s Daniel. He’s sitting at one of the tables, laughing and smiling at whatever the person across from him is talking about. It’s not Minhyun or Jaehwan judging by the short hair cut, but Seongwoo can’t think of any other human he knows that would take Daniel out to eat, especially at a place like this.  

_Oh._

That must be Aron.

He must have been starting a bit too long, because all of a sudden Daniel’s ears twitch and he’s looking up, catching Seongwoo’s eyes. “Seongwoo!” he can see Daniel call.

Seongwoo’s not sure if he should interrupt Daniel’s evening, but the Cat’s already up from his table, walking over. “Hi!” he says, bright and excited. “That’s so funny you’re here too!”

Seongwoo may have said something back, he’s not sure. His mind is going a bit haywire at Daniel’s choice of outfit - a well fitted dress shirt tucked into black dress pants that look really really good on his legs and wow have Daniel’s legs always been that long and his hair is styled up off his forehead and who is out to give Seongwoo a heart attack.

If Seongwoo wasn’t sweating before, he is now.

“What are you doing here?” Daniel asks, not noticing Seongwoo’s mental breakdown. “Uh...” Why is he here again? Something important, but obviously not as important as Daniel’s shoulders in this shirt.

“Alright fancy pants, you have a few -” Jisung blinks when he gets up to Daniel and Seongwoo, looking between the two. “Oh, who’s this?”

Right.

Seongwoo clears his throat. “Uh-” he looks at Jisung. “Jisung, this is Daniel. Daniel this is my publicist.”

Immediately, Jisung’s eyes widen. _“Oh,”_ he says. “So _you’re_ Daniel.” His eyes look Daniel up and down. “Seongwoo’s talked a lot about you.”

“I’ve been told,” Daniel replies, chuckling as Seongwoo sputters out nonsensical protests. “But it’s nice to meet you, too.”

Jisungs’s still looking at Daniel, calculating and critical and Seongwoo really needs Daniel to go back to his seat before Jisung says something. “Uh, y-you should probably get back to your meal,” Seongwoo says, nudging Daniel away from Jisung.

“Oh!” Daniel’s ears perk as he looks back to the table. “That’s just Aron. He asked if I wanted to get something to eat after his shift.”  He looks back to Seongwoo. “You should meet him! He says you two haven’t met yet.”

“Uh...” On any other circumstance, Seongwoo would jump at the chance to meet Aron, but with Jisung here, no doubt watching Seongwoo’s ever move around Daniel, he thinks he should wait. “That’s okay, I don’t -”

“You have five minutes,” Jisung interrupts, his tone is a bit sour.

That’s a good enough answer for Daniel, who’s grabbing Seongwoo’s hand and leading him back to his table. “Aron!” he calls as the two get to the table. “This is Seongwoo.”

Aron looks up. “I was wondering who got you all excited” he says in a friendly tone. “Nice to finally meet you, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo shakes his hand. Aron has a nice smile, and a nice face to be honest. He looks around Seongwoo’s age - which if he were friends with Dongho would make sense - and judging by the watchon his wrist, is well off. He must be doing well on the music side.

“Do you want to sit?” Aron asks. “We’re just waiting for our food.”

“Oh, no that’s fine.” Seongwoo shakes his head. “I’m actually about to meet with some producers.”

Aron’s eyes light up. “Oh! If you meet with Oh Minsoo, make sure to ask him about his dog. He loves going on about his dog.” Aron smiles. “You’ll definitely get points in his book.”

“Uh, thanks,” Seongwoo responds. That’s nice of Aron to give him some advice.

“I hope everything goes well,” Aron continues. “Daniel said you had auditioned for a drama?”

“Yeah, the one that Eunwoo’s doing.”

“You’ll hear back soon about it,” Daniel adds, nudging Seongwoo’s side. “They’ll be lucky to have you.”

Seongwoo’s heart does the flip flop thing and yep - he’s sweating again. “I-I should probably...uh -” He looks back to Jisung, who’s closely watching.

“No worries,” Aron replies. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Good luck at your meeting!” Daniel says, still smiling bright. Seongwoo smiles back, and gives Daniel a little scratch on his ears before walking back to Jisung.

“I see why you’re smitten with him,” Jisung says as soon as Seongwoo’s within earshot.

Seongwoo feels his face heating up again. “I-I am not!” he harshly whispers, even though _he_ can hear his own bulllshit.

“I thought you were watching yourself.”

“I am.” _Liar._

Jisung hums, not believing a word Seongwoo’s saying. “Like I said, I’m not your manager, but -” He tilts his head in Daniel’s direction. _“That_ is going to cause you trouble.”

“Daniel’s not causing me any trouble,” Seongwoo hisses. “And if you need to know, he’s with someone who’s thinking of adopting him.”

Jisung isn’t impressed with the information. Instead, he highs and shakes his head. “Like I said -” He nudges Seongwoo towards the back of the restaurant with the producers. “Trouble.”

 

 

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back by popular demand, first commenter gets to smack Seongwoo in the head.

 

 

 

“Hi Seongwoo!” Jaehwan greets when he walks in. It’s a bit of a surprise to see Jaehwan again after he was sick for nearly two weeks.

“Hi,” Seongwoo says back, hanging up his jacket. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. The flu really knocks you on your ass.” He smiles at Seongwoo before handing over a folder. “Boa’s got some things for you, but today’s just some homework help and movies.”

That’s a relief. Seongwoo as hoping it’d be nothing big today. He’s been stressed since he still hasn’t heard back about his audition, and the longer he waits, the more pessimistic he becomes. Having an easy day with movies and checking over some homework will keep his mind off things. So he walks back to the office, absentmindedly flipping through the folder until he gets to his desk.

Daniel’s not there.

Seongwoo frowns. “Isn’t Daniel working today?” he calls back to Jaehwan.

“Nope!” Jaehwan responds. “He’s out with Aron.”

Oh.

That’s kind of a bummer. Seongwoo was looking forward to seeing Daniel and telling him that the meetings with producers went well. He supposes he’ll have to wait a bit longer. He shrugs to himself then sits at his desk. Maybe Daniel will come back before he leaves for the day.

“So-”

Seongwoo shrieks at Jaehwan’s voice right behind him, nearly smacking Jaehwan in the face with his arm.

“Easy there,” Jaehwan laughs, kicking Seongwoo’s seat. He’s rolled himself in his chair from the front desk. “I just wanna know what you think of Aron.”

Seongwoo tries to get his heart beating normally. “W-what about him?” he wheezes.

“What do you think of him?” Jaehwan asks again.

“Uh…” Why does Jaehwan want to know Seongwoo’s opinion on Aron? “I don’t really know. I only met him once, for like two minutes.”

“C’mon, you must have _some_ opinion of him.”

“I guess...he was nice?” Aron did give Seongwoo good advice about that one producer, who did in fact brightly speak about his puppies.

Jaehwan frowns. “That’s it? That’s all you got?”

“I told you, I only spoke with him for two minutes,” Seongwoo replies, rolling his eyes.

“You’re _killing_ me!” Jaehwan whines, slumping in his seat.

“You haven’t met Aron yet?” Seongwoo asks.

“No! He and Niel already left when I got here.” Jaehwan frowns again. “And Minhyun has this thing where he’s all ‘Oh, you shouldn’t form opinions of someone before you meet them,’ so he didn’t tell me anything either.”

That totally sounds like something Minhyun would say, and it has Seongwoo chuckling. “Well, if it helps, Niel thinks he’s nice and says he gets along with everyone.”

“Niel also thinks that putting a spoon under his pillow will make it snow.”

And _that_ totally sounds like something Daniel would do, and Seongwoo laughs harder at the thought. “Who taught him that?”

“No idea. But now Jihoon and Woojin do it to try and get out of school.” Jaehwan rolls his eyes. “But really, you just think Aron’s nice?”

“I don’t know enough about him.” Seongwoo shrugs. “Why do you want to know?”

Jaehwan shrugs back. “I’d want to know about anyone who was interested in adopting Daniel.”

Seongwoo nearly falls out of his chair, choking a bit as he slides down. “D-did Aron say that-”

Jaehwan shakes his head. “He hasn’t told anyone directly. But I don’t see any other reason why he’d be stopping by every day this week and hanging out with Daniel.”

Oh.

So Aron hasn’t outright said that he wants to adopt Daniel. Okay, that’s okay. Jaehwan’s right - if Aron wasn’t seriously considering adopting Daniel, than he wouldn’t be spending so much time with him. Which is a good thing. Aron and Daniel should be spending a lot of time together and getting to know each other.

But even though things seem to be going well, there’s still this one, aching thought in the back of Seongwoo’s mind. “Do you...think Niel would want _Aron_ as an owner?” he slowly asks.

Jaehwan seems surprised at the question. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t know,” Seongwoo answers. “He seems to like Aron but...would he want Aron as an owner?”

Jaehwan purses his lips, thinking. “Niel wants to be adopted but…he’s not going to just throw himself at someone.” Jaehwan sighs, sliding a bit in his chair. “If I know Daniel, he’d want to be adopted by someone who he really cares about, not just someone who really care for him.”

Seongwoo hums in agreement. “So even if he likes Aron, he may not want to be adopted by him.” It makes sense, of course. Daniel shouldn’t feel pressured to be adopted by someone who he doesn’t want as an owner. But it makes Seongwoo worry - if Aron, who’s nice, well off, gets along with him, not the right owner for Daniel, who is?

“H-hey,” Seongwoo says to Jaehwan. “Have you or Minhyun ever thought about-”

“We have,” Jaehwan interrupts. “And we’ve talked about it. But it’s like...choosing between your own children.” He sighs. “We’ve worked here for so long that I can’t even imagine only adopting one of the Cats.”  

It was worth a shot. Jaehwan and Minhyun would be great owners for Daniel, or any of the Cats, but Seongwoo understands that there would be conflicting feelings if they were to just adopt one.

“But Seongwoo, have you ever thought of -”

The phone cuts Jaehwan off. He curses, sitting up in his chair and pushing it back to the front desk. Seongwoo watches with a chuckle. “I should be getting to work anyway!” he calls after.

 

 

_________

 

 

“I think Seongwoo’s the mafia!”

“Why do you always think it’s me?” Seongwoo laughs at Jinyoung.  “I think it’s Jihoon.”

“I’m the police officer!” Jihoon yells.

“No, _I_ am!” Woojin yells back.

Daehwi yawns. “You’re all a mess.” He sinks onto the floor, resting his head on Seongwoo’s legs. “Let me know when I’m needed.” Daehwi’s the narrator, and probably won’t be needed for a while if Jihoon and Woojin start arguing again. Which they do.

“You can’t be the police officer if I am!” Jihoon pouts.

“I _am_ the police officer. I think you’re the mafia!” Woojin sticks his tongue out.

“Who’s phone’s ringing?” Jinyoung asks, ears perked. The group grows silent, listening as a phone buzzes on one of the tables.

“I think that’s mine,” Seongwoo says. He looks over to the table he left his phone on.

Jihoon turns around and picks it up. “Who’s Jonghyun?” he frowns when he looks at the ID. Seongwoo gasps, knocking Daehwi off his lap when he dives for his phone. Unfortunately, Jihoon holds it just out of reach and Seongwoo lands on the floor.  “Who’s Jonghyun?” Jihoon says again, sounding a little angry. But Seongwoo doesn’t bother wondering why because _Jihoon needs to give him his fucking phone._

Seongwoo scrambles up and tears the phone from Jihoon’s hand. “H-hey,” he wheezes into the phone.

“They want you back,” Jonghyun says.

Seongwoo let out a _Whoop!,_ startling the Cats. He must look like a madman, eyes wide and jumping around the living room, but he couldn’t give a shit less because he got _a callback for the drama!_ “What did they say?” he asks into the phone.

“Not much,” Jonghyun replies, sounding just as excited as he is. “They’re pretty secretive at this point so they don’t give away favorites. But there’s only three of you for the role.”

“What’s going on?” Daehwi asks.

Seongwoo motions for him to wait. “I’m at the shelter now, I’ll call you back when I’m done.”

“Sounds good. We have a lot to go over. I’ll call Jisung!”

Seongwoo thanks Jongnhyun before hanging up. “I got a call back!” he tells the Cats.

He’s met with blank stares.

“So...you got the part?” Jinyoung asks.

“Er, no. I have to audition again.” Seongwoo forgot who he’s speaking to. The Cats have no idea about call backs.

Jihoon frowns. “You have to go through _another_ audition?”  

“Yeah, I need to audition again. But there’s less people audition this time around.”

There’s more blank stares, but Daehwi smiles up at him. “Well, congrats!”

“Thanks,” Seongwoo replies. “This is huge for me.” He really can’t believe it - a _call back_. Suddenly, all of the days of stress have been worth it. He needs to call his sister and tell her the news. He needs to see Jisung and take him out for a drink. He needs to find Daniel and thank him for -

Oh, right. Daniel’s not here.

That’s okay. Seongwoo will call him later tonight. Right now, he’s going to enjoy the moment.

And win this god damn mafia game. Jihoon’s going down.

 

 

_________

  


 

“Hey, Niel. It’s Seongwoo. I, uh, know you’re out right now, but I wanted to let you know that I got a call back for the drama! I don’t have the part yet, but the producers want to see me again, so I have a really good chance of getting this role and...I don’t know, I’m freaking out a bit. I’ll definitely need your help again. Also, I haven’t seen you in like, a week. Doesn’t that feel weird? Give me a call back when you can.”

 

  

_________

 

 

 

 “Thank you all for coming. This is a monumental moment for me, and I’m glad that you are with me to celebrate this achievement.”

“You can save the poetics when you actually get the role,” Jisung snorts from across the kitchen table. He’s face is - as usual - in his laptop, typing away at something.

Seongwoo pouts. “At least be happy for me,” he whines

“I’m happy for you,” Jisung replies. “But I also know that there’s still a lot that we have to do.”

“Right,” Jonghyun agrees. “This is a huge step and we’re excited, but we can’t lose focus just yet.” He looks down at his planner. “Okay, so the call back is at the end of the week. So you have until Friday to practice the new script.”

“And do any last minute networking,” Jisung chimes in. “I’ll check to see if there are any events you can get into.”

Jonghyun nods. “Just expect a busy week.”

A busy week is exactly what Seongwoo wants, and probably needs. A busy week will keep his mind off of the butterflies he keeps getting at the thought of landing a drama role. And sure, he’s frowning at the thought of having to do more networking events, but that last one with the producers must have helped him. He really has to remember to thank Aron for that advice, and maybe pick his brain a bit more about -

Oh.

“I guess I’ll have to call the shelter and call off this week,” Seongwoo mumbles. He almost forgot that he’s scheduled for most of the week. If he’s going to be busy with practice and networking, he doesn’t have time for the shelter.

“Good idea,” Jonghyun replies. “Just focus on the audition this week.”

“You also should let them know that you won't be there much longer,” Jisung says from behind his laptop.

Seongwoo frowns. “I won’t?”

Jisung raises an eyebrow. “If you get the part? You won’t need to volunteer anymore. You would have landed a role.”  He shrugs. “Mission accomplished.”

“You’ll also be busy with filming if you get the role,” Jonghyun adds. “So maybe it’s time to let the shelter know you can’t volunteer anymore.”

That’s true. If Seongwoo does get the role, then he’ll be filming all day. Maybe into the night. He definitely won’t have time to go to the shelter. And Jisung’s right - he’ll be known by the public if he gets the role and gets on TV. He wouldn’t need to try and use the shelter for fame anymore. Which, really, sounds great. The sooner Seongwoo gets a role, the sooner he can forget that the only reason he was at the shelter was to impress fans and directors.

The sooner he doesn’t have to worry about Daniel getting hurt.

“Also, you’re Instagram followers are through the roof.” Jisung swings his laptop around to show Seongwoo his new total of twenty-five thousand followers.  “So, I definitely think you can back off from the shelter.”

It’s probably best that Seongwoo start backing off from the shelter. He doesn’t just want to drop everyone at once. But at the same time...Seongwoo’s gotten so used to the shelter. It’s part of his week, and the Cats have become a part of his life.

Jihoon and Woojin are graduating from high school soon and are talking about moving away for college together. Seongwoo has to try to hide his smile every time Woojin’s eyes light up when Jihoon assures him that _yes,_ they’re going to go together. Daehwi and Jinyoung are excited as well. When Jihoon and Woojin move out, Daehwi and Jinyoung will move into their room. Daehwi’s already talking about making the room bright yellow. Jaehwan and Minhyun have become what Seongwoo would call friends. They finally did let Seongwoo know that they were dating, and do keep saying that the three of them should go out for drinks sometime.  

And Daniel…well…

_Bzzzzzz._

Seongwoo’s phone starts vibrating, making everyone jump. “Jesus,” Seongwoo mumbles, picking it up. It’s Daniel. He must have gotten Seongwoo’s message he left last night. “Uh-” He looks up at Jisung and Jonghyun. “Give me a minute.” He purposely doesn’t make eye contact with either Jisung or Jonghyun as he walks back to his room. “Hey,” he answers.

“I just got your message!” Daniel replies, excited. “I’m so happy for you!”

Seongwoo smiles to himself, pratcially hearing Daniel’s tail wagging through the phone. “Thanks. I still can’t believe it.”

“When are you coming in this week? I can help you practice again and -”

“Er, I don’t think I can come in this week,” Seongwoo quickly says before Daniel gets ahead of himself.

“Oh,” Daniel says softly, and Seongwoo winces at his sadden tone. “Why not?”

“Jonghyun and Jisung want me to really focus on the audition. So I’ll be busy with practice.”

“Oh,” Daniel says again, just as sad. “Well, that’s okay. You should focus.”

“Yeah…” Seongwoo sighs, running his hand down his face. He didn’t want this conversation to turn Daniel sad. Now he feels like a dick. “Well, I’ll be back next week after the audition,” Seongwoo says, trying to turn the conversation around, even though he doesn’t know if he’ll be there.

“Oh!” Daniel perks. “We should go out and get something to eat.”

Seongwoo smiles. That’s better. “Have anything in mind?”

“Ramen?”

“Didn’t we have that last time we went out to eat?” Seongwoo teases. A few weeks ago, he and Daniel went to a new ramen spot and shared three bowls. It was definitely too much food, but  Seongwoo couldn’t complain, especially when Daniel fell asleep on his shoulder on the bus ride back.

“Well, you remember that one restaurant by your work? The one we wanted to try? Aron and I went a few days ago and it was really good!”

Oh.

Seongwoo frowns. “You went with Aron?”

“Yeah! They have this really good chicken ramen that -”

“If you already went with Aron, we don’t have to go,” Seongwoo interrupts, still frowning. It’s kind of a bummer that Daniel went without him. He and Daniel had made plans to go to that restaurant weeks ago.

There’s a silence on the other end. “Oh…” Daniel eventually says. “No, it’s fine. It was really good -”

“We can go somewhere else if you already went with Aron.”

“Seongwoo, it’s _fine._ I’d eat there again.”

Seongwoo still has a frown on his face. He doesn’t even know why he’s acting like an asshole. It’s a goddamn ramen restaurant, but Seongwoo feels a bit bitter that Daniel went with Aron, even though it’s a good thing that Aron and Daniel are spending time together. It’s all so confusing and the silence is becoming deafening, but luckily Seongwoo sees Jonghyun approach from the hall. “Hey, I’ll talk to you later, I gotta go,” he says into the phone.

Daniel doesn’t respond right away, but does give him a soft, “Okay…” after a few seconds.

Seongwoo gives an equally soft “Bye,” before hanging up.

“What was that?” Jonghyun asks, looking a bit concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Seongwoo sighs. “Do you know Aron? Dongho’s friend?”

Jonghyun nods. “Yeah, I know him. Why?”

“He’s thinking of adopting Daniel.”

Jonghyun’s eyes widen in surprise. “Really?” He sounds a bit pleased at the news, but his expressions turns after a few moments.  “Oh...is that why you sound upset?”

Now Seongwoo’s surprised. _“What?_ No, no.” He shakes his head. “That’s a good thing, but Aron took Daniel to this ramen restaurant that he and I were going to try.”

Jonghyun nods along, slowly. “So...you’re upset Aron took Daniel to the restaurant and you didn’t?”

“No, no. I didn’t mean it like that.” He sighs, running a hand down his face. How can he explain this. Seongwoo’s not even sure why he’s upset. There’s no way he can explain to Jonghyun when he doesn’t know himself. Is he even _upset?_ Why would he be upset if Aron was taking Daniel to restaurants? Even if the restaurants were ones that Seongwoo and Daniel wanted to go to. “It’s just...Daniel’s been with him and I haven't seen him in a while and -”

“You’re upset at Daniel hanging out with Aron more than you?”

“No!” Seongwoo whines. “I mean -” He pauses. “Maybe? But not like _that,_ just...” Unfortunately, no words come to mind, and Seongwoo’s left feeling like a an idiot who probably made Daniel feel sad - _again._ “Forget it,” he mumbles, walking past Jonghyun back to the kitchen.

 

 

_________

  


 

Hey.  
7:01PM

 

I’m sorry for sounding like an asshole.  
We can eat at the ramen place.  
7:03PM

 

I mean, if you still want to. I’d get  
it if you didn’t want to go. I was a jerk.  
7:04

 

But I’d like if we went together.  
7:09

 

Niel \ (•◡•) /  
I’d like that too.  
7:20

 

Niel \ (•◡•) /  
:)  
7:21

  
  


Seongwoo lets out the breath he was holding. He doesn’t know what he would have done if he made Daniel upset.

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

 

Kim Jaehwan  
KICK ASS AT YOUR BIG AUDITION  
7:03PM

Thanks!  
7:04PM

EVERYONE SAYS GOOD LUCK.  
7:06PM

  
  


Jaehwan attached a picture of some of the Cats, giving a thumbs. Seongwoo smiles, typing out a “Thanks everyone!” back. That’s nice of the Cats to remember his audition, even if it’s been a week since he’s seen them.

“Who’s that?” Jonghyun asks.

“Jaehwan. And some of the Cats.” Seongwoo turns his phone so Jonghyun can see the picture.

“Nice.” Jonghyun smiles. “Looks like you have a lot of people rooting for you.”

“Guess so.” It is a good feeling knowing that there’s others beside Jonghyun and Jisung that want him to succeed. He smiles again and tucks his phone back in his pocket. Yeah, it’s a good feeling, but it only lasts a few more seconds before the restlessness takes over agan.

Seongwoo sighs, tapping his feet against the floor. “We shouldn’t have come this early...” he mumbles, looking over at a clock on the wall. The waiting room in the KBS studio is empty except for him and Jonghyun, making everything too quiet and Seongwoo more nervous. He still has a half hour before the producers will see him.

“Early makes a good impression,” Jonghyun replies, as calm as ever. He flips a page of the manga he’s reading. “It shows you’re punctual.”

Seongwoo sighs again. “I don’t think being _this_ punctual is a good thing.” All he really wants to do is get this audition over with and go take a long, hot shower. He’s been running on a few hours of sleep each night, going between script practice, corporate events, and whatever else Jisung could get him into. He’s waiting for this week to be over, even though this is the biggest week of his life.

His phone buzzes again in his pocket. Seongwoo pulls it out and immediately lights up at Daniel’s name.

  
  


Niel (｡◕‿◕｡)  
Good luck at your audition!! You’re  
going to do great :))) Call me when  
you’re done! (and I’ll answer this  
time I swear > <)  
7:15PM

I will! If I don’t pass out from nerves.  
7:15PM

 

Niel (｡◕‿◕｡)  
YOU WILL DO GREAT!!!  :D  
7:16PM

 

Seongwoo smiles to himself and peaks over at Jonghyun. His manager surely won’t mind if he spends some of his time texting Daniel. Besides, it’ll calm his nerves down if he sends Daniel a wave of Spiderman memes can make Daniel laugh.

 

_________

 

 

“Well, I don’t know what else you could do. You were fantastic.”

“I still feel like I’m going to puke.” Seongwoo’s sitting on the bus stop bench, and doesn’t trust his legs at the moment. As soon as his audition finished, Seongwoo was hit with a wave of nausea. Jonghyun had to help him walk after the audition, help him up on the bus, and then off when they arrived back in Gangnam.

Jonghyun laughs. “It’ll pass.” He rubs Seongwoo’s back. “But really, Seongwoo, you did great. I’m really proud of you.”

Seongwoo has the nicest manager in the history of forever.

“Want to get something to eat? You must be starving.”

Seongwoo’s stomach gurgles at the thought of food, though Seongwoo can’t tell if it’s nausea or hunger. “Maybe we should wait a bit.”

“Well, we can start walking back to your apartment. Maybe by then you’ll feel better?”

“I hope…” Seongwoo mumbles. He really doesn’t want to get sick on the pavement or in the bus. Hopefully the jitters and feeling of _holy shit I just nailed that audition_ pass and Seongwoo can eat -

“Seongwoo?”

It’s embarrassing how quick his heart reacts to his name being called. Seongwoo immediately stands up, whipping his head around and, yes, there’s Daniel, in his puffy winter jacket and a backpack hung over his shoulder. Daniel’s eyes light up as soon as he locks eyes with Seongwoo, and Seongwoo’s nausea is suddenly replaced by excited butterflies.

“Hey!” Daniel calls, a bright smile on his face. He quickly walks up to Seongwoo and wraps his arms around him, burying his face in Seongwoo’s shoulder and neck. “I missed you!”

Seongwoo has to remember to answer Daniel and not just bask in his warmth and delicious smelling shampoo. “I missed you too.” He gives Daniel a squeeze before pulling back. “What are you doing here?”

“I was putting up some flyers in some of the department stores.” His ears are twitching in delight and Seongwoo melts a bit on the inside. “How did the audition go?”

“He was awesome,” Jonghyun says. Seongwoo and Daniel look over to him. “The best I’ve seen him.”

Seongwoo does not like that smile that Jonghyun’s giving him right now.

Jonghyun ignores his glare and walks up to Daniel. “How have you been? Seongwoo’s said it’s been awhile since he saw you.”

“I’m good!” Daniel replies, still bright. “And yeah, it’s been a while.” He looks to Seongwoo. “A few weeks?”

“Uh, yeah,” Seongwoo says slowly, still watching Jonghyun. “It’s been a few weeks.”

“Well, in that case how you two catch up and grab something to eat?” Jonghyun suggests to Daniel. That smile is back on his face. “Seongwoo hasn’t eaten since lunchtime.”

_What is Jonghyun doing._

“You haven’t eaten yet?” Daniel turns to Seongwoo, frowning. “It’s so late, why didn’t you eat something before the audition?”

Seongwoo gawks. “I-I was nervous and wasn’t hungry!” he whines. How did this turn on him all of a sudden? He looks to Jonghyun for help, but Jonghyun’s _walking away_ and where the hell is he going? “W-wait, where are -”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow!” Jonghyun calls, and there he goes, walking into the crowd, leaving Seongwoo alone with Daniel.

Well then.

Seongwoo looks to Daniel, who’s still frowning at him. “I wasn't hungry!” he whines again.

“You still should've had something,” Daniel huffs. “C’mon -” Daniel takes Seongwoo’s arm, pulling him along. “Let’s find something to eat.”

And Seongwoo isn’t going to argue with that.

  


_________

 

 

Daniel was right. This chicken ramen _is_ delicious.

Seongwoo smacks his lips after slurping up some noodles. “I’m never eating regular ramen again.”

Daniel giggles from across the table. “I told you it was good.” He takes a sip of his red wine. Daniel didn’t get any ramen since he ate before, but Seongwoo keeps feeding him some of his, which Daniel gladly accepts with a smile and twitch of his ear.

“This isn’t good. This is _life-changing.”_ Seongwoo takes another bite. The broth is perfectly spiced, the chicken is tender, and the noodles are cooked to just the way Seongwoo likes them. It’s the best bowl of ramen he’s ever had, and he’s glad he gets to try it with Daniel.

Y’know. ‘Cause Daniel’s a good friend.

And ramen should be shared with good friends.

Good friends where one of them has a crush on the other and the other’s a piece of shit who keeps leading the one with the crush on for his own twisted enjoyment because he really likes being in the company of the one with the crush even though he may end up hurting him and -

Seongwoo stuffs more noodles into his mouth. Maybe dinner with Daniel wasn’t a good idea.

“So, you think you’ll be back at the shelter again?” Daniel asks, stealing a bite of kimchi.

Seongwoo nearly chokes on a noodle. Right, he never did tell Boa about stopping. “Uh, maybe,” Seongwoo answers, wheezing a bit. He looks down at his bowl. “I, uh, may have to start cutting back on hours.”

“How come?”

Oh no, Daniel sounds sad. Why does this always happen? “I, er -” Seongwoo peeks up at Daniel, who has a sad frown on his face. “If I get this role, then, y’know, I’d be busy with filming...and stuff.”

There’s a few seconds of silence, before Daniel lets out a soft   _“Oh.”_

Yep, Seongwoo made him sad. Again.

“B-but that’s if I get the role!” he says quickly. “If I don’t, then I can have the same schedule.”

Daniel still has the sad look on his face, but then gives Seongwoo a soft smile. “It’s okay. I hope you get it. You worked hard.”

Why does Daniel have to be the nicest person on the planet? Seongwoo gives him a thankful smile back. “It just sucks that I can’t do both. Have the role and volunteer.” He sighs and sits back in his chair.

“You could always visit if you have a day off,” Daniel says. “Or when the filming’s over.”

“I guess…” Seongwoo shrugs. “It’d just be a while. I’d miss you.”

Daniel blinks.

Oops.

There’s no saving Seongwoo. All he can do is feel his face turn red and watch Daniel’s face turn from a smile to a look of surprise, and Seongwoo can’t even think of a way to defend himself because it was obvious he was talking about missing Daniel and not anyone else. And it’s even more embarrassing because he truly, truly meant it and why is it so hard trying to just be professional around Daniel?

So he just sits in his seat, staring back at Daniel, wishing the floor would swallow him whole.  

After a few awkward seconds, Daniel smiles again. “I’d miss you too,” he says. “Two weeks felt so long.”

Seongwoo’s heart does this leap of joy at Daniel’s words, and _wow_ does this conversation have to change soon before Seongwoo does something stupid. “So, uh -” Seongwoo coughs. “Uh, how’s Aron?”

Daniel blinks again. “Oh,” he replies, looking a bit lost at the sudden change. “He’s good.”

“That’s good.” Seongwoo quickly downs his glass of wine. “Have you two, uh, gone anywhere new?”

“Not really…” Daniel says slowly, still looking lost.

“Oh, well you two should do something or go somewhere. Too bad it’s still cold for March or else you could to go a park or something, or maybe you both could go to a concert. Does he like going to concerts because if he doesn’t he should because you like concerts, or maybe -”

“Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo stops talking. Now he really wishes the floor would swallow him up.

Daniel gives him a soft smile. “I know what you’re doing. With Aron.”

What.

“Uh -” Seongwoo starts, trying not to act panicked. “W-what do you mean?”

Daniel fidgets in his seat. “You’re...hoping he…adopts me.”

_Abort, abort abort._

“I-I mean, it’d be great if he adopts you,” Seongwoo rushes. How did Daniel figure out that Seongwoo was hoping Aron adopted him? Did Aron tell him? Jaehwan? Or was Seongwoo just that obvious? His mind’s racing trying to figure this out, but then Daniel gets this uncomfortable look on his face and _shit_ \- what if Daniel never liked Aron in the first place? What if Daniel was only hanging out with Aron because every seemed to push him?

Seongwoo feels sick. “I...I’m sorry, Niel…” he whispers.

“No, no.” Daniel shakes his head. “I... appreciate it.” He pauses, biting his lip. “Aron’s...Aron’s nice,” he continues, slowly. “He’s really nice. And he’s funny…”

Seongwoo gulps. “But?”

“But…” Daniel looks down to the table. He sighs. “It’s gonna sound stupid but…” He looks back up to Seongwoo. “If...If I get adopted, I want it to be with someone who...feels like _home.”_

“Like home?” Seonwoo softly repeats.

Daniel nods. “Yeah…” He lets out a sad, breathy laugh. “I don’t know how to explain it.” He shakes his head. “I just...want to feel like I’m home.”

Seongwoo gulps again. “And...Aron doesn’t feel like home?”

Daniel shakes his head again.

So Aron isn’t the one for Daniel. It’s a bit surprising to Seongwoo, seeing as how much time Daniel and Aron spent together. They seemed inseparable these past weeks, but Seongwoo wonders if that’s how Daniel came to learn that Aron wasn’t the right person for him. If at one of their outings, something just clicked and Daniel knew that he wouldn’t be completely happy with Aron as an owner.

Seongwoo feels as though he should be upset, disappointed that Aron wasn’t the one for Daniel and that he’s back to square one; but there’s something bubbling underneath his skin - a thankfulness almost. Maybe he’s happy that Daniel’s not going to be adopted by someone he doesn’t like. Maybe he’s happy it’s not Aron.

Maybe he’s happy he gets to keep Daniel for himself a little bit longer.

Seongwoo clears his throat and shakes his head. What the hell is he thinking. “Well...then...he’s just not the right person. But there’s someone out there for you, Niel.” Seongwoo gives Daniel a smile. “I know it.”

Daniel doesn’t respond at first. Instead, he gives Seongwoo a smile back, not speaking for a few moments until he says, “I think there is, too.” There’s another pause before Daniel chuckles, making a face. “Sorry, that got a bit emotional.”

Seongwoo quickly shakes his head. “N-no, no! It’s fine! I’m sorry for bringing it all up.” Maybe he shouldn’t have had that red wine. “But, uh, maybe we can get some ice cream after this?” Ice cream makes everything better.

Daniel raises an eyebrow. “Ice cream? I think it may be snowing out,” he replies, but his tone and tail tells Seongwoo that ice cream is a good idea.

Seongwoo sticks his tongue out. “You can have ice cream in any weather.” He takes the last bit of his ramen and stuffs it into his mouth. “Time for ice cream!” he declares, but since his mouth is full of ramen it comes out as a jumbled mess of sounds.

Daniel laughs.

  


_________

  
  


“It’s _March_ for God’s sake, why is it snowing?”

Daniel doesn’t respond, too busy between finishing off his ice cream cone and trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue. Seongwoo decides that the snow can stick around for a little while longer - but not too long. Seongwoo can’t wait for the warmer weather.

“I like the snow,” Daniel says, taking one last bite of his ice cream. “But I’m ready for summer. I want to go a water park.” Once he’s done chewing, he sticks his tongue out again and catches a snowflake.

“Does the shelter take you?”

Daniel nods. “Once a year!”

Seongwoo tries really hard not to imagine Daniel in a bathing suit. “Well, uh-” He clears his throat. “H-here’s the bus stop.”

Daniel nods, walking over to the schedule. After a few moments, he pales, shocked. _“Damn it,”_ Daniel hisses, eyes scanning the board. “I think I missed the last bus.”

 _“Shit,_ did you?” Seonngwoo quickly walks over to the board as well.

Daniel points down to the last time. “Yeah, the last one goes back to Myeongdong at 12:30.”

 _“Shit,”_ Seongwoo curses again. Were they really together for that long? Seongwoo pouts. “I’m sorry, Niel.”

Daniel sighs, but shakes his head. “It’s not a big deal.” He shrugs. “I can try to get a taxi.”

Seongwoo doesn’t like that at all. It’s late, it’s still snowing, and he doesn’t want Daniel standing around waiting for a taxi. He could catch a cold, or slip on the snow, or meet someone who doesn’t like Cats and would want to hurt him. The last thing Seongwoo wants is Daniel getting hurt all because he was waiting for a taxi and having to take the long drive back.

If only there was something Seongwoo could do to help -

“Hey, uh, my apartment isn't too far from here.”

What.

Who said that.

Daniel blinks at him. “W-what?” he asks, as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

Did Seongwoo actually suggest Daniel _come over to his apartment_ like what is he thinking, is he actually suggesting that Daniel stay over?

“Y-y’know, if you want to stay the night? ‘Cause the snow?” Did Seongwoo’s suggestion come out wrong because he totally didn’t mean it in a sleazy way he meant it in a _friend helping a friend_ kind of way. “I-I mean...uh...you could...like, sleep over, but _sleep_ , y’know I have a couch and you could sleep on it. O-or I could sleep on it and you can sleep in the bed, b-but you don’t have to, that may be weird sleeping in my bed ‘cause I’ve been there but no like -”

 _“Seongwoo!”_ Daniel interrupts, chuckling.

Seongwoo feels his face color. “Sorry,” he mumbles, looking down at his shoes. He’s an idiot who rambles too much.  

Daniel smiles, trying to hold back his laughter. “It’s fine.” He pauses for a moment, then lets out a breathy laugh. He smiles to Seongwoo, his pretty pink blush appearing on his face and ears. “I can...I can sleep over.”

Seonwoo blinks. “Oh.” He nods his head. “Okay.”  He clears his throat. “Yeah.” Did it get hot all of a sudden? “Cool.”

What the fuck is he getting himself into.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this passed 500+ Kudos and i'm just so honored???  
> Thank you all for your lovely comments :)  
> If you ever want to talk to me, you can find me @callmedaedy on Twitter!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First commentor gets to join the sleepover!

 

 

Seongwoo has to admit - never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Daniel walking into his apartment. (Okay, so maybe in some wild dream he thought about Daniel in his apartment, which led to other things that Seongwoo’s not going to think about right now.) Yet here they are, Seongwoo unlocking his front door and letting Daniel into the living room. He really, really hopes he didn’t leave any of his underwear on the floor like he usually does.

“So -” Seongwoo clears his throat. “Here’s home.”

Daniel hums, looking around. His ears are twitching in curiosity as he takes in Seongwoo’s tiny living room. “It’s nice,” he says, meaning every word.

Seongwoo closes the front door. “And you’re sure Boa said it was okay that you stayed over?”

Daniel nods. “Yep! She said she’d rather have me stay than try to get home in this weather.” He turns to Seongwoo, a smile on his face. “Thanks again for letting me stay.”

Seongwoo feels his heart skip a beat. He needs to get it together for fucks sake. “N-no problem.” He clears his throat again. “The bathroom’s right down the hall if you need it.”

Daniel looks over. “Do you mind if I take a bath?”

Seongwoo blinks. “Uh, I mean, you can, it’s just late…” He looks down at his phone - it’s almost one in the morning.

“That’s okay!” Daniel replies. “I’d rather take a bath now than in the morning.”

Well, if Daniel wants to shower before bed, Seongwoo’s not going to argue. “I’ll, uh, find you some clothes, then.”

Daniel nods, then turns his attention to some of the books on a bookshelf. Seongwoo walks back to his room, still a bit in disbelief that _Daniel is here in his apartment about to spend the night._ This is definitely not on the list of “Ways To Act Professional Around Daniel.”

Shaking his head at his own weak ass, Seongwoo searches in one of his dressers to find some pajamas for Daniel. Maybe he has something at the bottom of his drawers that may work.  Almost five minute later, though, Seongwoo’s realizing that this may be harder than he thought. Most of the clothes he wears probably won’t fit - Daniel’s wider than he is on top, and has longer legs. After looking through all of his drawers, he eventually finds a pair of sweatpants that may fit Daniels’ long legs, and an t-shirt that’s a bit too big for Seongwoo. He momentarily stares at his underwear drawer, wondering if Daniel would want a clean pair to sleep in - then decides for the good of his sanity it’s better to assume that Daniel will need them than to have Daniel not wear underwear at all in his apartment.

Soeongwoo takes them back to the living room, where Daniel has curled up on the couch with a magazine in his lap. “Will these work?”

Daniel perks up. He puts the magazine down and gets up from the couch. He picks up the t-shirt. “This should!” He pauses when he sees the sweats. “Um.” Daniel looks down at the pants and underwear, then down at his tail swinging next to his leg.

Oh. Right. Tails.

“Uh -” Honestly if Seongwoo has to sacrifice this pair of sweats and underwear to keep Daniel from just wearing his own underwear in his apartment, he absolutely will cut a hole in them. He’s practically reaching for the scissors when he remembers - there are other long-legged Cats nearby. “Maybe Seonho or Guanlin have a pair you could borrow?”

Daniel’s ears perk. “Oh. That would work!”

“Uh -” Seongwoo puts the clothes down and reaches for his phone. “Let me see if Dongho’s even up.”

  
  


Hey, sorry it’s so late, but are you home?  
12:58AM  


 

“If not, I can wear these,” Daniel says, picking up the pants and underwear. “It’s just a bit uncomfortable.”

Seongwoo doesn’t want Daniel to be uncomfortable, and is going to tell him about making a hole for his tail when his phone buzzes.

  
  


Kang Dongho  
What’s up?  
12:59AM

 

 

“Dongho’s up. I’ll ask if he has any extra pants.” Seongwoo looks down at the pile. “A-and underwear.” He quickly scurries to out of the apartment and leaves Daniel in a fit of giggles.

He gently knocks on Dongho’s door, and tries not to piss himself when Dongho answers looking less than amused. “Sorry it’s late, but, uh, does Seonho or Guanlin have an extra pair of pajama pants?”

Somehow, Dongho looks more annoyed, on top of absolutely lost. “...Did you run out of your own or -”

“Hi Dongho!” Daniel chirps, and Seongwoo jumps at his voice. He wasn’t expecting Daniel to follow him. Daniel giggles as he walks up behind Seongwoo and leans his head against Seongwoo’s shoulder. “Are Guanlin and Seonho sleeping?”

Dongho doesn’t have a chance to answer before Seonho and Guanlin appear behind him, smiling at Daniel. “What are you doing here?” Seonho asks, voice starting out loud then turning to a whisper when Dongho shushes him.

“I’m sleeping over at Seongwoo’s!” Daniel answers. “Do either of you have pants I could borrow?”

Guanlin and Seonho don’t answer, instead pulling Daniel into Dongho’s apartment, probably to their room. Dongho watches as they go, then turns back to Seongwoo, an eyebrow raised and _that look_ on his face.

Seongwoo feels his cheeks flame. “I-it was snowing and the buses stopped running!”

Dongho shrugs, smirking. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Your eyebrows did.”

That gets Dongho laughing. “And what did they say?”

“Something along the lines of you’re not surprised that I’m here in this situation and are enjoying my suffering.”

Dongho laughs again. “That sounds about right.”

Seongwoo whines, running his hand down his face. “I’m just helping a friend out.”

“Do you always go so out of your way for friends? Or is Daniel just special?” Dongho doesn’t wait for Seongwoo to answer before he snorts, and Seongwoo doesn’t even bother defending himself since 1) Dongho’s already made up his mind and 2) It’s true. Seongwoo treats Daniel better than his (two) friends.

Because it’s Daniel. Because Daniel is special. Because Seongwoo likes treating Daniel better than his (two) friends. Because Seongwoo likes Daniel better than his (two) friends. Because Seognwoo likes Daniel as more than a -

Seongwoo nearly falls over when his head starts spinning, thankful that Dongho’s reflexes are fast and catch him as he starts tipping over. “Are you okay?” Dongho asks, sounding a bit concerned.

_“Fine,”_ Seongwoo replies, surprisingly stable even though his mind is racing. “I’m good.”

“You sure? You got pale all of a sudden -”

“I got pants!”

Dongho and Seongwoo look over to Daniel. He has a wide smile on his face as he holds a pair of basketball pajamas, but it falls when he sees Dongho helping Seongwoo up. “Are you okay?”

Seongwoo quickly straightens up. “I’m fine!” He clears his throat. “You, uh, all set?”

Daniel looks down at the pants. “Yeah, I’m good.” He turns to Dongho. “I’ll bring them back tomorrow.”

“No problem.” Dongho smiles. “Have a good night you two.”

Seongwoo does not like the way Dongho said that. Not at all. He huffs, making a face at Dongho before walking back to his apartment.

“Dongho’s a nice guy,” Daniel comments as they walk back in.

Seongwoo shrugs. “I guess…”

“You guess?” Daniel chuckles.

“He always seems angry at me.”

Daniel chuckles again. “I think you’re overthinking it.”

Seongwoo huffs as he leads Daniel into the bathroom. “Well, he always laughs at me.”

“Just because you’re such a funny guy,” Daniel replies, giving Seongwoo a playful smile.

That does no good for Seongwoo, and he quickly turns around towards the shower. “So,” he coughs. “Here’s the shower.”

Daniel hums. “How do you stop the water for a bath?”

Seongwoo blinks. “Uh…” He looks down at the drain. “I think you use this to keep the water from draining…” He bends down and pokes at the stopper.

“You’ve never had a bath?” Daniel asks.

“I haven’t had a bath since I was a kid.” Seongwoo looks up at him. “Do you just do baths?”

Daniel nods. “Baths are better for Cats. They help keep water out of our ears.”

“Huh.” Seongwoo learned something new today. “Well, I think that should do it.” He stands up. “And everything’s here. Towels are under the sink. Let me know if you need anything.”

Daniel nods again, and Seongwoo leaves, closing the door behind him. Once he hears the water running, he walks back to the living room and flings himself onto the couch. Okay, so far so good. He’s not done anything stupid yet. They made it home. Daniel’s got pajamas for the night. Once he’s done taking a bath this night is practically over and Seongwoo won’t have made a fool of himself.

Until his mind reminds himself that Daniel’s naked(!) in the bathroom just feet away from him.

And that Seongwoo likes him as more than a -

His phone buzzes, nearly giving him a heart attack.

  
  
  


**Kim Jaehwan  
** So, a sleepover huh?  
1:08AM

Did Boa tell you?  
1:09AM

  


**Kim Jaehwan  
** Dongho texted Minhyun who told me.  
1:09AM

**Kim Jaehwan  
** Just have him back at a decent hour tomorrow!!!  
He promised to help Woojin and Jihoon fill out  
College applications!!!  
1:10AM

  
  


Seongwoo types back a quick “Okay,” before tossing his phone on the table. He has no idea why Dongho needs to tell Minhyun that Daniel’s sleeping over, but maybe Seongwoo should have let them know if they come into the shelter and Daniel’s not there.

His phone buzzes again.

  
  


**Choi Minki  
** Make sure to use protection :)  
1:11AM

 

 

Seongwoo promptly turns off his phone.

He groans again into the cushions. Letting Daniel stay over was a bad idea; the _worst_ bad idea Seongwoo’s ever had. Because not only is Daniel currently naked(!) in his apartment, now other’s know that Daniel’s (naked!) in his apartment, and all of these people know what Daniel does to Seongwoo. As in, how Daniel makes Seongwoo’s heart swell with every smile, every giggle; how Daniel makes Seongwoo feel warm and a little less alone when they’re together; how Daniel could ask for the moon and Seongwoo would probably get on a rocket because if Daniel wants the moon than Seongwoo’s getting him the fucking moon.

Because Seongwoo likes Daniel as more than a -

_Nope._

He’s not going there. He’s _not going there._ There’s no way he’s going to even _think_ about that possibility. Nope. Not happening. Seongwoo would rather be hit by a bus or hung by the toes or go through another audition than think about _that._ No sir, not today. Instead of thinking about _that,_ he’s just going to lie here on his couch and hope that it swallows him whole or suffocates him so he doesn’t have to deal with with the butterflies pooling in his stomach over the thought of him liking - oh hey is someone speaking?

Seongwoo lifts his head up and looks over towards the bathroom, listening. He can faintly hear Daniel softly singing, a pop song he’s heard on the radio. It has Seongwoo smiling a bit. He’s never heard Daniel sing before. He rolls over a bit more and closes his eyes, focusing on the hum of Daniel’s voice. How he has the energy, Seongwoo has no idea. But it’s nice - Daniel’s actual singing and the way his voice floats through the apartment.

Seongwoo smiles again and closes his eyes. It’s strange having someone else in the apartment, but Daniel’s voice is more soothing than out of place. Most nights Seongwoo listens to the pipes clanking or the traffic outside, but Daniel’s soft singing is calming, lulling Seongwoo to sleep as he thinks of what other songs Daniel likes and maybe sing along to...

“Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo jumps, nearly hitting Daniel in the face with his hand. _“Jesus.”_ When did Daniel walk into the living room?

Daniel giggles. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were sleeping.”

“I wasn’t,” Seongwoo replies as he yawns. It’s a complete lie though - he must have fallen asleep if Daniel’s done with his bath. “You all done?”

“Yeah.” Daniel yawns back, looking tired himself. “Now I’m sleepy.”

Seongwoo chuckles at that. “Well, my bed’s all set. Just let me grab a pillow and -”

_“Seongwoo,”_ Daniel frowns. “It’s your bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Seongwoo frowns back. “I’m already here though.”

“You had a long week.”

“I’m sure you have to.”

 “Not as long as you,” Daniel sighs. His ears are flopping in exhaustion, and Seongwoo’s about to walk him straight into his bed when Daniel’s ears turn up. He looks down to the floor. “We...could share?”

Seongwoo blinks. “Huh?”

“S-share the bed? I don’t mind sharing,” Daniel says quickly. He peaks up at Seongwoo. “Un-unless you do.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Seongwoo sits up on the couch, now hyper aware. “N-no, t-that’s fine!” He nods his head. “We can share. It’s big enough.”

Daniel smiles. “Okay.”

Seongwoo’s going to hell.

But if it’s the only way that Daniel is going to sleep in his bed and not on his shitty couch, than Seongwoo’s willing to make the sacrifice. So he gets up off the couch and walks Daniel to his room(!!!), making sure his front door’s locked and all the lights are out. When they pass the bathroom again, Seongwoo pauses. “Uh, I have an extra toothbrush.”

So they stop to brush their teeth. Seongwoo keeps peeking at Daniel in the mirror. His ears are flopping even lower now, and his tail is dragging on the floor. It’s adorable. Why does Daniel have to look adorable when sleepy?

When they finish, Seongwoo has to lead Daniel by his shoulders to his room since Daniels’ fading fast. Seongwoo closes the door. “Uh…” He looks at the bed. “I sleep on the left.”

Daniel silently nods and takes a few steps, before pausing. “Uh, just so you know…I may grind my teeth while I sleep.” He pauses, shy. “And I talk.”

Seongwoo sighs. “Niel, if you’re worried about it I can sleep on the co-”

Seongwoo’s interrupted by Daniel pushing him onto the bed. “I told you, I can sleep on the couch,” Daniel replies.

Seongwoo sighs in the mattress. “Just get in here so we can _sleep,”_ he whines. He’s giving up fighting Daniel and really just wants to sleep for ten hours.

Daniel huffs, but moves to the other side of the bed and crawl underneath the covers. Seongwoo does the same, shifting his body so he can get in the blankets. Now they both are silent. Seongwoo can feel Daniel’s heat next to him - his bed’s not _that_ big - and now he’s between having his heart beat out of his chest and running out of the room from the awkward tension because _Daniels in bed with him (!!!!!)_.

He stares up at the ceiling, before shifting his eyes over to Daniel. He’s already curled himself up in the blankets, only his ears and eyes visible and _God dammit_ there goes Seongwoo’s heart. He quickly turns in the opposite direction. “G-goodnight,” he squeaks.

Daniel hums. “‘Night.”

Seongwoo lies, not moving an inch. He stares at the wall, waiting until Daniel’s breathing evens out and he can be sure Daniel’s asleep before he bolts out of here. There’s just no way he’s getting any sleep if he knows Daniel’s lying next to him(!). Once he hears Daniel start sleeping, he’ll tip-toe back to the living room and sleep on the couch. It may be uncomfortable, but he knows the farther away he is from Daniel, the more sleep he’ll get.

So he waits, paying close attention to Daniel’s breathing, how his breath is getting deeper, how quiet the room is getting...how warm the blankets are...how warm Daniel feels even though they’re not touching...how nice it would be to roll over and bask in Daniel’s warmth....and his shampoo…

How nice...it is to have Daniel…here...with...him….

Seongwoo close his eyes. He can rest for a few minutes.

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First commenter gets to lovingly beat Seongwoo up.

 

 

Seongwoo wakes up _hot._

As he slowly regains consciousness, he shifts uncomfortably. Sure, he’s under his blankets, but why is it this _warm?_ Wasn’t it just snowing out? And his apartment usually chilly during cold weather.

Seongwoo whines, burying his face into his pillow. It’s hot, but he doesn't want to wake up yet. He tries to roll over, but for some reason his body goes nowhere. Seongwoo pouts into his pillow, and tries turning his body again. Nothing.

Okay, now Seongwoo’s a bit concerned. Not only is it ungodly hot, but he can’t move. And what is this _thing_ that he feels on his leg? And he could have sworn he threw out that body pillow from years ago, how did it end up back in his bed?

He whines again, counting to three before opening his eyes. It’s bright with the sun reflecting off of his mirror on the wall. He looks down at his blankets, thinking that’s a good start to cooling down, but when he goes to move his arm he brushes against what feels like a hand. A hand that’s not his. He frowns, blinking.

That’s when Seongwoo feels Daniel’s breath against his neck.

He _jolts,_ trying to move away from Daniel, but Daniel’s arm keeps him in place and his _tail_ is what’s wrapped around his thigh. Seongwoo feels his face flare up, realizing that Daniel’s spooning him from behind, arms and legs thrown over him. Daniel must also have completely rolled onto his pillow, because Seongwoo swears he can feel Daniel’s ears against his hair.

He really should have slept on the couch.

It’s an interesting predicament to be in. Daniel’s body is flush against his - which explains why it’s so hot - and his arms and legs are pinning Seongwoo in place. But, if Seongwoo were being honest, it’s not that uncomfortable. It kind of feels nice. Seongwoo hasn’t been cuddled in a while, especially not like _this._ That, and the fact that he can still smell Daniel’s shampoo (er, Seongwoo guesses his own) even though he’s facing the other way. Why does Daniel always seem to smell _good?_

But as nice as this is, he can’t just lie here and risk doing something stupid - like cuddling back. So:

Option one: Seongwoo wakes Daniel up. Daniel will no doubt be mortified that he’s holding Seongwoo, and probably run out of his apartment. Effective, but Seongwoo’s not about to embaress Daniel.

Option two: Seongwoo stealthily gets up, saves his body from heat exhaustion, saves Daniel from embarrassment, and saves himself from doing something stupid.

Or option three: Seongwoo says fuck it and stays and dies of heat exhaustion. Unpleasant, but Daniel smells good and Seongwoo really likes the feeling of Daniel around him, despite Daniel giving off enough warmth to power the sun.

Option three is sounding really good, but Seongwoo’s thinks he’s starting to sweat. Option two it is.

Gently, Seongwoo takes Daniel’s arm and picks it up from his waist. When Daniel doesn’t move, Seongwoo slides forward so he can tuck Daniel’s arm behind him. Okay, so far so good. Seongwoo’s able to sit partial up now, and he quickly pulls his blankets off of him. Cool air hits his burning body and it’s such a relief. Once he’s taken a few cool breathes, he slowly pushes Daniel’s leg off of his. Again, Daniel doesn’t move, just continues snoring. Okay, now the tail. This is going to be a bit more challenging. Seongwoo peels his blankets off a bit more so he can see what he’s working with. Daniel’s tail is fully wrapped around his thigh, but not too tight. He may be able to unwrap it.

Gently taking the tip of the tail, Seongwoo slowly pulls it back. It gives easily, and Seongwoo briefly thinks he’s home free when the tail suddenly tightens around his thigh.

“‘ngwoo…?”

Seongwoo freezes, head whipping around to see Daniel stretching his arms over his head.

_Busted._

Daniel’s eyes are still closed, breathing still even. “Why…” Daniel smacks his lips. “Why...is there no _pizza…”_

Seongwoo blinks. “Uh...” Seongwoo looks down, tail still in hand. “I...don’t have any?” he whispers, unsure if Daniel’s actually awake.

Daniel mumbles something, and then his tail is unwrapping from Seongwoo’s leg, following Daniel as he turns to face the other way. Blankets go with him, and Seongwoo is free from his prison. Daniel’s still mumbling about pizza, but halfway through his jumbled sentence the snoring starts again.

Daniel really wasn’t joking about the sleep talking.

He has to smile when Daniel snuggles himself further into the blankets, only his ears visible. He waits a few more seconds to make sure Daniel’s really asleep before sliding out of bed and onto the floor. He’s a bit proud of himself. That was a daring escape.

After a quick run to the bathroom, Seongwoo pads into the kitchen. It’s a bit strange knowing there’s another person in the apartment. He’s not used to having people sleep over. He’s lacking in the proper etiquette of how to make his guests feel at home. Usually, his guests are out the front door before he wakes up. Breakfast, though, seems like a good start. Daniel likes eating.

Seongwoo looks into his fridge. There are a few eggs, but he doesn’t have any pork, so sandwiches are out. He knows he has rice, but there’s not much else for breakfast side dishes.

He sighs. Maybe he’ll take Daniel to the cafe across the street. They have some pastries that are good. But what kind of host would Seongwoo be if he can’t make Daniel breakfast? There aren’t a lot of options, but maybe some eggs with toast will work. So he goes over to his pantry to take out a loaf of bread, nearly knocking over the box of pancake mix that his sister sent him from New York. _“Shit,”_ he curses, catching the box before it spills over. He frowns down at the box. That would have been a mess -

_Oh._

Pancakes. Seongwoo can make pancakes.

Seongwoo’s momentarily unsure if Daniel likes pancakes, but then he remembers - it’s Daniel. Of course he’ll like pancakes.

So Seongwoo gets cooking. He’s thankful pancakes are easy to make. He doesn’t want to risk the chance of burning the pancakes - or apartment - the first time Daniel’s over. That would be embarrassing. When the batter’s made, Seongwoo starts cooking. The first few are lopsided and definitely not pancake shaped, but by the second round they’re looking - and smelling - like pancakes.  His sister would be proud.

There’s a neat stack beginning to form when Seongwoo hears movement behind him. He looks and sees Daniel walking in, eyes closed, ears flopped, and hair in disarray. Seongwoo smiles.

“Morning sleepy-head.”

Daniel mumbles something that Seongwoo can’t understand, and Seongwoo chuckles. “Go back to bed if you’re still tired.”

Daniel shakes his head. His eyes are still closed and his ears are still flopped. “M’fine…” he mumbles.

Seongwoo chuckles again. “You can lie on the couch. I’m almost done with breakfast.”

He smiles down at his pancakes, neatly flipping one over. He goes to flip a second, but nearly sends the pancake flying when he feels Daniel lean against him, his head lying in the junction between Seongwoo’s head and shoulders to peak at the pan.“What’s that?” Daniel mumbles into Seongwoo’s shoulder. His words send sparks through Seongwoo’s body, as if he can _feel_ every syllable Daniel says.

“I-it’s pancakes,” Seongwoo croaks. Daniel’s ears tickle against the side of his face.

“Oh,” Daniel replies, still sounding sleepy. “They smell good.”

Seongwoo tries not to shiver. “I hope they taste good. I haven’t made them in a while.”

Daniel hums, and Seongwoo definitely shivers this time, almost dropping the spatula. “Are you cold?” Daniel asks, a bit concerned, as if he isn’t the reason Seongwoo’s tremors.

Seongwoo gulps. “N-no, I’m fine.” He quickly finishes flipping the pancakes. “H-how about you get some plates for us.” He nods to the cabinet on his right. Daniel groans a bit, but moves away to set a table for them. “We can eat -” Seongwoo looks over to his kitchen table, which is hidden under piles of clothing and old scripts. “-Er, in the living room.” He looks over to Daniel. “If you don’t mind eating on the floor.” The living room table will be able to fit them both.

As Seongwoo finishes the pancakes, he points Daniel around his kitchen for some forks (“I’ve tried eating them with chopsticks - not easy.”) and glasses (“I have some juice or milk if you want?”). Once the batter’s empty, Seongwoo takes the plate of pancakes to the living room. Daniel’s settled on the floor, looking a bit more awake now. His ears perk when Seongwoo walks in. “They smell really good!”

“I hope they taste good,” Seongwoo mumbles. Maybe he should have tried one before feeding Daniel.

Daniel, though, shows no fear, and is quick to take a pancake from the plate and put it onto his. “I think they’ll be delicious.”

Daniel’s enthusiastic about the pancakes, but Seongwoo still feels skeptical. He watches with bated breath as Daniel takes half of the pancake in one go. His eyes light up and ears perk. “It’s good!” He quickly goes for another bite.

Seongwoo sighs in relief.

“Do you have syrup?” Daniel asks with a mouthful of pancakes.

Seongwoo chuckles when he gets the syrup. He also grabs a few napkins in case things get sticky. Once back, Seongwoo gets a few pancakes for himself and covers them in syrup. He takes a bite - wow, they _are_ pretty good. He smiles to himself. “I made pancakes,” he announces proudly.

“You made _good_ pancakes,” Daniel adds.

Seongwoo hums in agreement. “Have you ever had pancakes before?”

Daniel nods. “Boa takes us to this American breakfast place in Itaewon. It’s pretty good.” He stuffs in another mouthful. “We should go.”

Seongwoo chuckles again, handing Daniel a napkin. “If we keep going to all of these restaurants, I’ll need to start going to the gym.”

“I’ll go with you!” Daniel says quickly. “I like running.”

“You don’t look like you need to go,” Seongwoo replies, eyes focusing on Daniel’s broad shoulders. “You could probably beat me up in your sleep.”

Daniel giggles. “It wouldn’t be much of a challenge.” He laughs louder when Seongwoo throws his napkin him.

“I let you in my home, and you _dare_ make fun of me?” Seongwoo cries, dramatically standing up and storming back to the kitchen with his empty glass. Daniel’s laugh follows him, and Seongwoo doesn’t even try fighting feeling pleased over making Daniel laugh. Daniel likes laughing, and Seongwoo likes making Daniel laugh.

When he gets back with a now full glass of orange juice, Daniel’s off the floor and looking at one of his bookcases. Daniel looks over, a smile on his face. “What are you doing here?”

Seongwoo sets his glass down and walks over. It’s a picture of him a few years ago with some friends, where Seongwoo’s ears are folded over. “I’ve never showed you my ear trick?” When Daniel shakes his head, Seongwoo gasps, grabbing his hand and setting him on the couch. “Close your eyes,” he says, turning around to fold his ears. He turns back, hiding his his ears behind his hands. “Okay open!”

When Daniel opens his eyes, Seongwoo takes his hands down to show his folded ears. Daniel looks in awe. “How do you do that?” he asks.

“It’s a secret,” Seongwoo replies. He gives Daniel a wink with his left eye, popping his ear when  he does. Daniel starts giggling, and Seongwoo makes another face to pop his right ear. “So that’s my party trick.”

Daniel’s still giggling. “I can’t do that, but I can make bunny teeth.” He tucks his lips so only his two front teeth are showing. His cheeks puff out and his eyes are still bright and yep, this is the cutest Seongwoo’s ever seen him.

Seongwoo laughs, then tucks his own teeth. “Like this?” He must look ridiculous, because Daniel starts laughing. Seongwoo then crosses his eyes, which makes Daniel laugh even harder. His ears twitch and he tips over, holding his stomach as he laughs his way to lie on the couch.

Daniel’s laugh maybe Seongwoo’s favorite.

“What if my face always looked like this?”

Daniel’s still lying, heaving. “I think -” _Wheeze._ “-we’d still be friends.”

“That’s good,” Seongwoo smiles. He reaches out a hand and helps Daniel sit back up. “I was worried you were just friends with me because of my looks.”

Daniel smiles back. “Nah, it’s just a plus.”

_Oh._

Seongwoo chokes a bit, quickly turning back to the pancakes. “W-we should finish eating,” he mumbles, dropping to the floor and quickly stuffing his face. Hopefully the pancakes take away the blush that’s forming on his cheeks.

His heart may end up bursting before the morning’s over.

He’s got another mouthful of pancakes in when Daniel moves off the couch and sits next to him. Seongwoo slowly looks over, worried that he made Daniel feel sad - _again._ Thankfully, Daniel doesn’t look sad. Instead, he’s got this _look_ on his face as he stares at Seongwoo, almost like he’s...unsure.

Seongwoo swallows. “What? Do I have syrup on my face?”

Daniel smiles, shaking his head and leaning closer. “No, just looking at your moles.” His eyes move to Seongwoo’s cheek.

“Oh,” Seongwoo softly replies.

Daniel continues to smile and leans even _closer._  “They’re pretty.”

“O-oh,” Seongwoo says again, now really unsure of what to say since he’s too busy trying to tell his heart to _calm the fuck down_. Daniel looks up at him expectantly, waiting for Seongwoo to say something, maybe a thank you? Seongwoo’s not sure because honestly it’s really distracting trying to think when Daniel’s sitting so close.

He swallows again. _C’mon Seongwoo, one thank you,_ he thinks to himself. But what ends up coming out is, “Y-yours is pretty, too.”

 _That_ certainly catches Daniel off guard. He blinks, surprised, and his cheeks immediately begin to turn pink. “O-oh,” Daniel stutters, and now he’s staring back at Seongwoo who feels his own cheeks flame up and how _stupid_ was he to say that, what was he thinking?

He made things go from playful to downright awkward, and he can’t even think of a way to save himself or Daniel from this, so all he can do is break eye contact with Daniel except his eyes betray him and they for some reason think it’s okay to go to Daniel’s _lips_ and oh _God_ Daniel notices that since his blush gets darker, Seongwoo wants to _die_ now because he didn’t _mean_ to look at Daniel’s lips he just did, and _fuck_ is Daniel looking at his now? This is bad, _abort abort abort_ why is Seongwoo not leaning away, why is he just sitting here looking at Daniel’s lips, why is Seongwoo leaning in to -

There’s a knock at the door.

Daniel jumps at the sound, nearly hitting Seongwoo in the mouth with his face. He doesn’t even have time to apologize since Seongwoo’s bolting off the floor, running to the door off the adrenaline still coursing through his body. He swings the door open.

_Oh shit._

“J-Jisung!” Seongwoo squeaks, quickly shutting the door behind him.

“Congrats on the audition!” Jisung says, throwing an arm around Seongwoo. “Jonghyun told me you did nailed it! So I brought lunch for later.” He pulls away and holds up the bag in his hand. “Jokbal!”

“Uh, t-thanks.” Seongwoo gives Jisung a smile, hopefully covering up the panic he’s feeling. Of all the people to be here while Daniel’s here, it had to be Jisung.

But Jisung, of course, notices something’s up. He squints. “What’s up with you?”

“N-nothing,” Seongwoo squeaks again, and Jisung just squints harder.

_Shit._

“Well…” Seongwoo’s tempted to lie, but there’s nothing he can say that will convince Jisung besides the truth. So he sighs. “Daniel’s here.”  

Now Jisung is frowning, upset. “You brought Daniel over before calling me about the audition?”

“No!” Seongwoo says quickly. “He stayed over! And I was going to call after he left!”

All of a sudden, Jisung’s eyes go wide in horror. _“You brought him home last night?”_

Seongwoo sighs again, looking down at his feet. “Yeah...he slept here last night.” When Jisung doesn’t respond, Seongwoo looks back up. Jisung looks frozen. “What?” Seongwoo asks. What’s up with Jisung? Sure, Jisung isn’t the biggest fan of Daniel, but that doesn’t explain why he’s got this scandalized look on his face. Like, this looks even more shocked than that one time Jisung caught Seongwoo in the middle of a hookup on the set of a model shoot last year and -

_Oh my god._

_“Shit,_ Jisung. No, not like _that!”_ Seongwoo harshly whispers in case Daniel can hear through the door. “The roads were bad, so he stayed here for the night instead of going back to the shelter!” Did Jisung _actually_ think that Seongwoo took Daniel home to have sex? “Nothing happened!”

Y’know. Besides cuddling and thinking about kissing Daniel. But Jisung doesn't need to know that.

The shock slowly falls from Jisung’s face, but he still looks skeptical. Seongwoo fights the urge to stamp his feet. “It’s _true,”_ he whines. “He just slept over. That’s it.”

“Look, I know how you are with pretty boys, and you’ve been thirsting after Daniel for months.” Jisung shrugs. “Sorry if I assumed wrong. But -” He holds up the bag. “I still have lunch. So I’m either taking this home with me or leaving it here.”

“Ho-hold on, I have _not_ been -” Jisung’s expression tells Seongwoo he better not finish. He scowls. “I’ll take the jokbal. Tha-”

Jisung pushes past him, walking into the apartment. “I said, _I’m_ leaving it here.”

 _Panic_ is what Seongwoo feels. He tries to grab Jisung, but he’s too fast and stomps his way into Seongwoo’s living room, and _fuck,_ what is Jisung going to say to Daniel?

“H-hi Jisung!” Daniel blurts, a bit too cheery. He’s still sitting on the floor and his cheeks are still pink. Seongwoo kind of wants to die.

Jisung gives him a tight smile. “Hi Daniel. Did you have a good night?”

“Y-yeah.” Daniel shyly smiles back. “Seongwoo made pancakes.”

Seongwoo tries to ignore the butterflies that flutter in his stomach as he follows Jisung into the kitchen. Jisung sets the bag of food on the counter, then turns to Seongwoo, frowning. “Pancakes? Really?”

 _“He was hungry!”_ Seongwoo whispers, hoping Daniel doesn’t hear them. “And I didn’t have anything else!”

Jisung just rolls his eyes. “Like I said before - trouble.” He walks back out towards the door. “Call me when you’re free. I have some things for you to do.” He shuts the door behind him.

Seongwoo really doesn’t understand Jisung’s problem.

He shakes his head and walks back to the living room. At least Jisung’s gone. “Well, if you’re done with pancakes, we have jokbal,” he tells Daniel.

Daniel looks up, ears flopped over. “Does...Jisung not like me?”

Seongwoo is going to kill Jisung.

He quickly shakes his head. “No, no. It’s not you, it’s just…” How can Seongwoo put this. “He’s...worried I’m getting distracted at the shelter.” That’s close enough to the truth - that Seongwoo’s overstepping way too many boundaries if the shelter’s just a PR stunt.

“Oh…” Daniel replies. His ears still droop. “Are we distracting?”

Daniel definitely isn’t talking about the other Cats. “No, never.” Seongwoo shakes his head again. He sits down next to Daniel, and scratches his ear. “I like being with you all. Its...relaxing.” He pauses, thoughtful. “It’s nice stepping away from work and the stress, and being with you, and…” He trails off, worried he may say something he’ll regret.

Daniel smiles, though. He shys away from Seongwoo’s touch and sticks his tongue out. “You’re just saying that because you want the last pancake.”

Seongwoo looks down at the plate. “No, but now that you say that…” he quickly grabs a fork, but Daniel pulls the plate away from him. _“Hey!”_ He whines.

 _“Too slow,”_ Daniel sings.  

“At least share!” Seongwoo dives for the plate, but misses and hits the floor. He whines again at the impact, then louder when Daniel laughs at him.

Daniel picks the pancake up and holds it in front of Seongwoo. “Gotta try harder if you want it.”

Seongwoo huffs, but after a few seconds dives again. His hand hits the pancake, knocking it out of Daniel’s hands and landing on the floor. He and Daniel stare at it. “No...” Seongwoo says, softly. Broken.

He really wanted that pancake.

Daniel looks over to him. “I’ll pay you ten thousand won to eat it.”

He screeches when Seongwoo reaches out to tickle him.

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally didn't mean for this monster to hit ovER 20 CHAPTERS IT JUST DID I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.  
> I thought this be like a 15 chaptered thing but then I kept going and going and going and -  
> Well.
> 
> First commenter gets to choose what they'd like to do :)

 

 

“Hey Seong - _Shit,_ what happened to you?”

Seongwoo sighs. “Woojin and Jihoon.”

“It looks like you were mauled by a bear,” Dongho chuckles.

“It felt like it,” Seongwoo replies, wincing as he rolls his shoulder. He hasn’t checked himself in a mirror, but he knows his hair’s messed up, there’s a rip in his shirt, and probably a bruise that will appear on his eye within the next few hours. Jihoon and Woojin had a little too much fun showing Seongwoo their new karate moves. Daniel, of course, laughed and recorded the whole thing. Seongwoo’s probably going to end up on Youtube.

He shakes his head. “Anyway,” he hands Dongho Guanlin’s clothes. “Thanks for letting Daniel borrow these last night.”

Dongho takes them. “No problem.” He gives Seongwoo a shifty look. “So how _was_ last night?”

Seongwoo wants to scream.

 _“Uneventful,”_ he hisses. “What _is_ it with you all and hoping something happened last night?”

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “Who else asked?”

“Minhyun and Jaehwan.” Seongwoo pauses. “And Minki hasn’t stopped texting me.” Minhyun’s inquiry seemed harmless enough, just making sure Daniel was a gracious guest. Jaehwan was a bit more suspicious in his questions (“So, Daniel says you made pancakes. Do you _always_ make pancakes for sleepovers?”). And Minki…  


**Choi Minki  
** Did you finally get laid?  
7:02AM

 

Seongwoo scowls just thinking about it. “Thanks for telling everyone...”

“You’ll thank me in the future,” Dongho chuckles again.

Seongwoo frowns at that. “What do you mean -”

“So, how are things with Aron?” Dongho interrupts.

Oh, right. Aron. Seongwoo sighs. “Daniel doesn’t think he’s the right person.”

“Oh. That’s a shame,” Dongho replies, even though his tone doesn’t sound that disappointed.

“Yeah, I thought he’d be a good fit for Daniel.” Seongwoo sighs again. “You don’t know anyone else that may be interested? A relative? Or a supervisor -”

He’s cut off again by Dongho sticking out his hand. Dongho cranes his neck into his apartment, then turns back to Seongwoo. “Seongwoo, we don't really know each other. And I don’t really care what you do in your personal  life. So just consider this the opinion of bystander, but have _you_ thought of adopting Daniel?”

Silence falls between the two.

Seongwoo blinks. “What?” Did he hear Dongho right?

“Why don’t _you_ just adopt Daniel instead of running around trying to find someone?”

Seongwoo blinks again. _Him...adopt...Daniel…._ The absurdity of the thought has Seongwoo snorting. “That’s funny.”

“I’m being serious, asshole,” Dongho deadpans, now looking a bit pissed off.

Oh. 

_What._

_“M-me?”_ Seongwoo chokes out, now registering what Dongho just said. “W-what...h-how could _I_ -”

Dongho raises an eyebrow. “You _never_ thought about adopting him? Not even _once?”_

 _“No!”_ Seongwoo squeaks, trying not to sound as flustered as he feels. “I...why would _I_ adopt Daniel?”

“You care about him, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah -”

“And he - for some reason - is obviously infatuated with you.”

“N-now hold on -”

“And you want to find a good home for him?”

“Of course, but -”

“Then’s what’s the problem?” Dongho finishes, eyebrow still raised, speaking as if the answer is so simple. Even though it’s the furthest things from simple.

“I-I...” Seongwoo can’t even speak, there’s so much going through his mind that all he can do is shake his head. “I just...I wouldn’t be good for him.”

“That’s _really_ what you’re going with?” Dongho asks.

Seongwoo looks down to the floor.

Dongho sighs. “Alright. Like I said, it’s your life.” He turns back to his apartment, but pauses before closing the door. “Look, I get it. It’s a huge decision. Life-changing.” He looks back at Seongwoo. “But Cats know when they found the right person. So you might not think you’re good enough, but you’re more than enough for them.” Dongho motions into his apartment. “I know.”

He shuts his door.

  


________

  
  


Seongwoo finds himself lying on his bed again, staring up at the ceiling, and just repeating the same thing in his mind:

_Adopt Daniel._

Seongwoo’s head is still reeling. _Him_ adopt Daniel? Seongwoo, the same Seongwoo who couldn’t keep a fish alive when he was a kid, adopt Daniel? Seongwoo, the same Seongwoo who’s a broke model and can barely afford his apartment, adopt Daniel? Seongwoo, who is not even _close_ to what Daniel deserves, adopt Daniel?

No way.

Daniel deserves a family, not a Seongwoo. He deserves a family that can take care of him and treat him to all of his favorite things and can keep him company. Seongwoo can’t give Daniel those things. What if Seongwoo ends up getting the drama role? He won’t even have time to volunteer at the shelter, how could he take care of Daniel? Make him feel loved and wanted when Seongwoo may not even come home for days on end?

Though, the drama won’t be forever. Maybe after…

Seongwoo shakes his head. What is he thinking? He’s not even sure if he _wants_ to adopt Daniel. Sure, Daniel’s a great friend. But that’s it. Seongwoo and Daniel are friends. They like going to restaurants and watching movies and playing video games. They like being with each other. But that doesn’t mean that Seongwoo wants to _adopt_ Daniel. And it’s nothing to do with Daniel. It may even be nice having Daniel around. Seongwoo’s gotten so used to living alone, that having Daniel for a few hours made his apartment feel warmer, a bit brighter. The apartment seems smaller now that Daniel’s not here anymore.

But Seongwoo has his job, and he’s can’t give it up for Daniel. Not when he’s worked this hard, and is so close to landing an acting role. He’s wanted this for so long, this is his _dream._ This is what he’s wanted since he can remember.

Besides, Seongwoo’s had to make sacrifices to get here, and he’s not going to let Daniel become one of them.

So really, there’s only one thing to do.

  


________

  
  


“Do you have a minute?”

Boa looks up from her laptop. “Of course!” she replies, smiling.

Seongwoo closes the door behind him before sitting across the desk. “I, uh, wanted to let you know that I’ll be leaving soon.”

Boa’s ears twitch. “Ah,” she says. “I was thinking about that.” She reaches into a drawer and pulls out a file - _his_ file from when he first started volunteering. A smile forms on her face. “A few months turned into a lot longer, huh?”

It’s true. Seongwoo only thought he’d be at the shelter for two, three months. But now April is here and Seongwoo’s nearly spent six months volunteering at the shelter. “Yeah…” He replies. “I’ve been putting it off, but I think I should cut back now before I can’t come in at all.”

Boa nods. Thankfully, she doesn’t look upset at all. She’s still smiling. “Any good news on anything? Jaehwan said you were auditioning for a drama?”

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Not yet.”

“Well, even if you do get busy, I hope you can visit us once in a while.”

“I hope so. I’ll miss everyone,” he sighs. It’s going to be strange not seeing all of the Cats very week. And Minhyun and Jaehwan.

And Daniel.

“We’ll miss you, too,” Boa says. “You’ve made a lot of Cats here happy.” There’s a twinkle in her eye.

Seongwoo coughs. “Er, thanks…” Does _everyone_ have to know about Daniel?

Boa smiles again, then looks at her laptop. “Well, we’ll need you to finish this week. Is that okay?”

Seongwoo nods. “I can do another two if you need me.” Even if he hears something back from the producers, they won’t need him for two or more weeks.

“I’ll keep you on the schedule then until the middle of April.” She gives Seongwoo a playful look. “And we always throw a going away party for our volunteers. If you don’t mind.”

Seongwoo nods again. “Can Jaehwan make a cake?”

“Yes,” Boa laughs, typing on her laptop. “Jaehwan can make a cake.”

Seongwoo smiles with her, even though deep down he’s trying hard to keep himself together. This was the easy part. The hardest part comes after.

  


________

  
  


“Is everything okay?”

Maybe Seongwoo should stop poking at the chicken. Ever since he and Daniel arrived at the restaurant, Seongwoo’s slowly become quieter, thinking of all the different ways he can tell Daniel that he won’t be at the shelter anymore...or at least, for a while. He looks up at Daniel. “Yeah,” he replies. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Daniel smiles at him. “You’ll hear about the drama soon.” His ears twitch. “And it’ll be good news.”

Seongwoo doesn’t deserve Daniel.

He gives Daniel a smile back. “Thanks…” Finally, he takes a bite of the chicken - _yum._ He hums. “This is _good.”_

“I don’t know what they do, but it’s so _good.”_ Daniel grabs another piece. “I usually don’t eat boneless chicken, but the sauce is spicy and sweet and -” He takes a bite. _“Yum.”_ He moans around the chicken and Seongwoo quickly downs the rest of his wine. Something in the back of Seongwoo’s mind told him not to take Daniel for chicken today, but he couldn't remember what that reason was once Daniel came down the stairs in skinny jeans and a tight t-shirt. Now he does. Daniel has the tendency to be vocal about how much he enjoys his food, which - in turn - makes Seongwoo want to bash his head against the table, among other things that Seongwoo won’t think about.But now that the chicken’s here and Seongwoo’s had a few glasses of wine, it’s probably time to tell Daniel about the shelter. Okay, Seongwoo, one deep breathe and then -

_Bzzzzz._

Seongwoo nearly chokes on the chicken as his phone rings. He drops his chopsticks and grabs it, heart sinking when he sees it’s not from Jonghyun, but his sister. Not that he’s unhappy Jiwoo’s calling him, but Jonghyun would be calling about the role. He gives himself a few seconds to breathe before answering. “H-hey!” he wheezes.

“Hey yourself,” Jiwoo chuckles. “Are you home?”

“No, I’m actually at this really good chicken restaurant.” Seongwoo looks over to Daniel, who’s curiously looking back at him. _My sister,_ Seongwoo mouths back. “I’m here with my friend, Daniel.”

Daniel smiles at that, sitting up a bit straighter.

 _“Oh,”_ Jiwoo replies. “A _friend?”_

Seongwoo frowns at her tone. _“Yes._ A friend.” Okay, so Seongwoo knows that he doesn’t have many friends, but Jiwoo doesn’t have to act all surprised.

“So, by friend we’re talking about boyfriend.”

 _“No we are not!”_ Seongwoo harshly whispers, trying not to choke in air.

Jiwoo laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes. Put him on, I wanna introduce myself.”

“No!” Seongwoo growls again. He’s not having his sister speak to Daniel. She’s armed with some of Seongwoo’s most embarrassing stories and as far as Daniel knows, Seongwoo’s only somewhat of an idiot. And what if she says something about being a boyfriend to Daniel who most certainly is _not_ Seongwoo’s boyfriend, he’s a _Cat_ first of, and _just_ a friend and -

Daniel tilts his head. “What?”

Seongwoo waves his hand, hoping he doesn’t look panicked. “I’m hanging up if you’re just here to make me miserable.”

“I just wanted to see if you heard anything yet. But I guess that’s a no.”

“Not yet,” Seongwoo sighs. “I’m hoping soon. It’s been a few days.”

“Well, let me know when you do. And I’ll let you get back to your date.”

 _“It’s not!”_ Seongwoo whispers again, hoping Daniel doesn’t notice his face heating up.

“Love you,” Jiwoo sings, before hanging up.

Seongwoo quickly puts his phone down, scowling. “My sister thinks it’s fun to tease me.”

“It _is_ fun to tease you, though,” Daniel replies, sticking his tongue out. “How is she?”

Seongwoo’s heart does a flip. “S-she sounded good. She wanted to know about the role.”

Daniel hums, taking another bite of chicken. “Do you talk to her often?”

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Not as much as I’d like to.” He sighs, picking up his chopsticks. “She’s busy, I’m busy…” The thought has him frowning, and poking at the chicken again. “Ever since I started modeling, I’ve only seen her a few times.”

“Oh,” Daniel says. His ears droop a bit. “Do you miss her?”

“Yeah…” Seongwoo replies. He wishes he could see Jiwoo more often, but between his schedule and her living halfway around the world, it just doesn’t work out. When Daniel doesn’t answer, Seongwoo looks up. Daniel’s got this sad look on him. “What?”

Daniel looks down, biting his lip. “You...don’t talk about your parents...”

Oh.

Seongwoo looks back down at the chicken. “We don’t really talk anymore.”

Daniel’s ears flop more and, well, there goes Seongwoo making Daniel feel sad again. “I-I’m sorry -” Daniel starts, but Seongwoo waves his hand.

“It’s fine, Niel. We never got along.” Daniel’s still frowning, though, and Seongwoo sighs. “This industry’s hard on families, Niel. Not everyone can make it work.” It’s sad, but true. In an industry where you need to make choices, family often comes second. Seongwoo’s learned that the hard way.

They both fall into silence, and Seongwoo’s worried he’s made things awkward. He didn’t mean to, but really - he doesn’t speak with his parents much anymore. Maybe he should reassure Daniel that he’s not upset about it, because that last thing Seongwoo wants is for Daniel to feel like he made Seongwoo upset or -

“Dongho makes it work.”

Seongwoo over to Daniel. “Guanlin and Seonho are happy,” Daniel continues, giving Seongwoo a soft smile. “And Dongho’s happy. I’m glad they’re making it work.”

Seongwoo blinks. It’s true. Dongho is making it work. Granted, Dongho works on the music side and isn’t a model like Seongwoo, but he’s able to balance busy hours and tight deadlines with raising Guanlin and Seonho. And if Dongho can make it work, then maybe...

No. Seongwoo’s not risking it.

He shakes his head to clear that thought. But since he’s thinking about it...“Hey, Niel,” he starts before his nerves get the better of him. Only, when Daniel looks over at him, eyes wide and seemingly sparkling from the restaurant lights, Seongwoo momentarily feels like his nerves will get the best of him. “I...just wanted you to be the first to know.” He swallows. “I’m leaving the shelter in a few weeks.”

Immediately, Daniel’s head snaps up, eyes wide and mouth open in shock and Seongwoo _swears_ he hears this sad whine leave Daniel’s lips.

“In a few weeks!” Seongwoo quickly repeats when he sees Daniel’s reaction. Oh _fuck_ , Daniel looks like he’s going to _cry,_ did Seongwoo hurt his feelings? Daniel knew this, Seongwoo mentioned it a few days ago when they went out to eat. “Remember, I have to -” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “...I have to take a break in case I get the role?”

Which, for the most part, is true, but even he’s not sure if he’ll actually get back to volunteering if he doesn’t get it. The best thing he can do for himself, the shelter, and Daniel is distance himself away, but judging by Daniel’s reaction and the way his own heart strings pull, maybe he should reconsider completely distancing himself.

Daniel’s still frozen across from him, like he’s still trying to process what Seongwoo just told him. Now Seongwoo’s getting a bit concerned. He leans across the table and strokes behind Daniel’s ear. “Niel,” he says softly. “Niel, what’s wrong?” He can feel Daniel begin to shake under his fingers.

“I-I…” Daniel takes a deep, shaky breath. “I just...thought it wouldn’t be so _soon.”_ Daniel’s voice is so small, it sounds like it’s going to break any second.

“Well, it’ll be about two weeks...so it’s not... _so_ soon?” That doesn’t help because Daniel _still_ looks upset. Seongwoo’s not sure what else to say. He wants to comfort Daniel that he won’t completely disappear from his life, but he doesn’t want to promise something he can’t keep, so maybe he should just reassure Daniel that they can still be friends and _Oh no,_ are Daniel’s eyes getting misty, is Seongwoo’s making Daniel _cry?_

Seongwoo’s the biggest piece of shit on the planet.

“Hey, Niel,” Seongwoo says, still stroking Daniel’s hair. “I’ll come and visit when I have breaks.”

Daniel’s body visibly loosens, and he slumps a bit in his seat. “You will?” he says softly.

Seongwoo gulps. “Of course. A-and I don’t have the part yet. If I don’t get it, I can visit more often.”

After a few seconds, Daniel beings nodding his head. “O-okay,” he says, as if convincing himself. “That’d be nice.”

“Besides -” Seongwoo gives Daniel a smile. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Daniel breaks into a small smile back, and Seongwoo mentally sighs in relief.

“I don’t want to get rid of you just yet, either” Daniel replies, smile getting bigger on his face. “You promised to take me to see _Infinity Wars.”_

That has Seongwoo chuckling. “Yeah, I guess I did.” He pulls his hand back from Daniel’s ears. “And you promised to give me twenty thousand won when Captain America dies.”

Daniel hits his hand on the table. “He’s not going to die! It’ll be Ironman!”

“What if we’re both wrong and it’s Spiderman?”

Daniels gasps. “Don’t say that!”

Seongwoo chuckles again, and quickly goes into a long speech about how symbolic it would be if Spiderman bit the dust. Daniel takes the bait and argues back, and Seongwoo feels relieved that Daniel’s not visibly upset anymore. He didn’t think that Daniel would take him leaving so hard. Sure, Seongwoo can understand not seeing a friend for a while can suck. And he knew that Daniel has a crush on him, but he didn’t think it was _that_ bad, so bad that Daniel got physically upset.

Seongwoo briefly wonders is something else is going on, something that he doesn't know. Maybe that’s the reason why Daniel was so surprised that Seongwoo was leaving. He makes a mental note to ask Minhyun about it next time he’s at the shelter. But if there was something going on, something that’s making Daniel upset, he’d tell Seongwoo about it.

Right?

 

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Sorry this is late. A lot has happened these past two weeks, and it's been so stressful.
> 
> Also, a heads up - but the next chapter will be late as well, since I'll be on vacation starting next week. I'll hopefully get some writing done but no promises! I'm actually going to Seoul for the first time and I'm so excited! If anyone has good places to eat, let me know! But I hope that this chapter leaves you all satisfied for the time being. 
> 
> Which reminds me.
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

 

“You officially passed forty thousand followers!” is how Jisung greets Seongwoo as he walks into the Jisung’s kitchen.

Seongwoo pauses as he walks in. “Wow,” he says. Forty thousand is a lot, especially for some no-name model. “Has Fantagio been posting anything about me?”

“Actually, they have.” Jisung swings his laptop around. On Fantagio’s instagram account, they added a picture of Seongwoo from one of his recent photoshoots and tagged his account. He scans the comments on the photo, and most seem to already know who he is, which is huge for his popularity. If he already has a following, he’s seen more as an asset to producers.

“Hopefully the producers of the drama have seen this.” Jisung swings his laptop back to face him. “I’ve been keeping track of C9 actor you’re up against and they’re silent. So hopefully that means they’ve given up.”

“I doubt it,” Seongwoo snorts.It’s wishful thinking, but the other actor Seongwoo’s up against wants this role as much as he does. He’d be foolish to think that the company would back off. 

“We can hope,” Jisung answers, still looking at the laptop.

Seongwoo may as well tell Jisung now. He pulls out a chair across from Jisung. “I, uh, told the shelter I’m leaving.”

Jisung pauses from typing. “Oh.” He looks up at Seongwoo. “What did they say?”

“Boa said that she needs me for this week and next week. Then I’m good to go.”

Jisung nods. “Good for you.” He looks back down at the laptop. “I know you liked it there, but your career is more important.”

It is. Seongwoo knows this. His career is what he’s been working so hard for, and the only reason he was at the shelter was to help boost his popularity so people would like him and want to hire him. Everything is working out how they planned.

But still...

“Why don’t you like Daniel?” 

“Huh?” Jisung looks back up, a confused look on his face. “I don’t have anything against Daniel.”

“Yeah, but every time I talk about him or when you see him you…” Seongwoo pauses, trying to find the right words. “You...get this disappointed look on your face.” He frowns. “And Daniel’s noticed it, which made him upset.” Which Seongwoo is still a bit pissed over, but he can keep that to himself for now.

Jisung doesn’t speak right away. He purses his lips at his laptop, before closing it and pushing it away from him. “I’ve known you since you were fourteen, and you remember the first thing you said to me when he met?”

“Damn, those pants look good on you?”

Jisung throws a pencil at him. “No, it was, ‘Hi, I’m Ong Seongwoo. Remember that name because I’m going to be famous’.”

Seongwoo snorts. “Please tell me I didn’t say that.”

“You did. And over ten years later, I’ve been with you to get you there.”

It’s true. Jisung really was Seongwoo’s first supporter all those years ago. He never once called Seongwoo a fool or looked down on him when he said he wanted to be famous. It’s a bit romantic if Seongwoo thinks about it, the two of them sticking together when Seongwoo was in high school and then when Seongwoo dropped out of college to focus on modeling full time. He had even lived with Jisung for almost a year before Fantagio took over his housing situation.

It has Seongwoo chuckling at the memories. “Remember the talent show from my freshmen year?”

“You almost threw up on my shoes, but you nailed it. And got scouted.” Jisung smiles over at him. “And here we are.”

Seongwoo hums. “But what does this have to do with Daniel?”

Jisung sighs, then runs one of his hands through his hair. “I’ve seen you work for over ten years to get a drama role.” He looks down at the table.“I’ve seen you stay up for days to make it to five photoshoots in a row. I’ve seen you cry over jobs, I’ve taken you to the hospital because of jobs…” That has Seongwoo slumping in his seat. “I...don’t want you throwing it away,” Jisung finishes.

“I don’t want to throw it away…” Seongwoo replies. “I want this role, so much.”

“I know. And I just want to keep you focused.” Jisung smiles again. “You deserve this. You deserve to get what you’ve worked hard for and be happy.”

And Seongwoo agrees. He’s worked hard, endured so much. He deserves to get this role, become an actor like he’s always wanted. There’s nothing that would make him happier.

At least that’s what Seongwoo keeps telling himself.

  


________

  
  


Seongwoo hasn’t even said hello before he’s on the floor, pushed over by Daehwi. “You’re _leaving?”_ he cries, tightening the grip he has around Seongwoo’s neck.

“Daehwi!” Minhyun yells, quickly running over and pulling Daehwi off Seongwoo. “What did I tell you?”

Daehwi sniffles. “It’s just so sad…”

“Go back to your homework.” Minhyun nudges Daehwi back towards the stairs. “And don’t say _anything.”_ As Daehwi drags himself to the stairs, Minhyun turns to Seongwoo and helps him up off the floor. “I’m so sorry, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo shakes his head, a bit disoriented from the collision. “Did Daniel say something?” He’s not mad if Daniel did, but he kind of wanted to tell the Cats himself.

Minhyun shakes his head. “No, he didn’t... _say_ anything. He’s just been feeling down the past few days, and I guess Daehwi just thought it was because you’re leaving.”

_Fuck._

“Has he really?” Seongwoo asks, heart beginning to pound. Daniel seemed good after the restaurant, but it was foolish of Seongwoo to think that Daniel would just be fine. Of course he’d still feel a bit upset.

“It’s nothing drastic,” Minhyun quickly replies. “He’s just not as... _Daniel_ as usual.”

 _“Shit,”_ Seongwoo curses, now thinking of Daniel curled under his blanket and sniffling, or walking around with his ears turned down and tail dragging on the floor. “I need to talk to him.”

“Maybe you should tell everyone if you _are_ leaving before you talk with him?” Minhyun suggests.

Oh. That probably is a good idea.

Seongwoo nods. “I’ll do that now.” He didn’t have any plans of what to say to everyone, but he supposes he can come up with something real quick. He takes a step towards the stairs, then turns back to Minhyun. “I’m, uh, leaving next week.”

Minhyun chuckles. “We’ll miss you.”

Seongwoo makes his way up to the living room. Jaehwan has some of the Cats at the kitchen table, books open and papers spread everywhere. Jinyoung’s the first to spot him. His ears perk up. “Hi Seongwoo,” he greets.

All of the Cats turn to look at him. “Hey Seongwoo,” Daehwi calls, now sitting next to Jinyoung. “Do you know another word for ‘love’ that I can use in my essay?”

Jaehwan frowns. “I thought you were going to use ‘infatuation?’” He grunts when Jihoon jabs him in the side with his elbow.

“Uh-” Seongwoo starts, but Daehwi just sighs and rolls his eyes, turning around in his seat. It’s a good thing, honestly, because Seongwoo has no idea what other word to use for ‘love.’ He shrugs his shoulders and goes to the table, standing behind Jaehwan. “Hey, I...just wanted to let you guys know, I’m leaving next week.”

The table freezes.

Jaehwan whips his head around so fast, Seongwoo swears he hears it crack. “You’re _leaving?”_ he repeats, almost bewildered.

Daehwi snorts next to him. “I can’t believe you didn’t catch on.”

“Did you get the role?” Jinyoung asks him.

Seongwoo shakes his head. “Not yet. But if I do, then I can’t work here anymore.”

“What if you don’t get it?” Jihoon asks. “Would you come back?”

His tone sounds hopeful, and it has Seongwoo slouching a bit. “I’d still want to focus on my job...”

The table falls silent again.

“Oh...” Jihoon replies. His ears turn down.

“B-but I can still come and visit when I’m free!” Seongwoo says quickly. “I won’t be gone forever.” Wow, the Cats are taking this a lot worse than Seongwoo thought they would. Everyone at the table has a gloomy look on their face, even the Cats that Seongwoo wasn’t as close with. No one is saying anything though, and Seongwoo’s kind of feeling awkward. He coughs. “I-I’ll, uh, go see if anyone needs anything upstairs.”

He quickly turns on his heels, trying not to run out of the room. Before he makes it up the stairs, he hears Daehwi harshly whisper _“You owe me twenty thousand won,”_ to someone.

When he gets to the floor, he nearly walks into Woojin, who was just coming out of his room. “Hey!” Woojin squeaks, quickly hiding something behind his back when he looks up at Seongwoo.

Seongwoo raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Nothing,” Woojin replies, giving Seongwoo a smile.

It has Seongwoo snorting. “As long as it’s not illegal.” He rolls his eyes. “Where’s Daniel?”

“I think we took a nap.” Woojin peaks around Seongwoo, down towards the third floor. “What was all the yelling?”

“Oh.” Seongwoo follows his gaze to the stairwell door. “I’m...leaving the shelter next week.”

“Why?”

Seongwoo turns back to Woojin, who now has a frown on his face. “I need to focus on work.”

The frown deepens, almost in anger. “Why can’t you focus on work and stay here?”

“I mean - I could but -” Seongwoo shakes his head, moving past Woojin to Daniel’s room. “I just need to focus on work for a while, then I can think about coming back.” He ignores Woojin’s protests. Right now, he just needs to make sure Daniel’s okay.

“Niel?” he calls when he knocks on the door. There’s no answer, but Seongwoo thinks he hears a low groan. He peaks his head into the room. As expected, Daniel’s under a pile of blankets. Seongwoo smiles to himself, walking over to the pile and tugging one of Daniel’s ears.

The ear twitches, and Daniel rolls over a few seconds later. He blinks up at Seongwoo. “Oh, hi,” he yawns.

“Have a good nap?” Seongwoo chuckles, reaching out to scratch Daniel’s ear.

Daniel hums at the feeling. “I could use a few more hours…” he slurs, stretching his arms over his head. “Do they need me with homework help?”

He smiles down at Daniel. “I think Jaehwan’s got it.” After a few seconds, Seongwoo remembers, “Oh. I, uh, told everyone that I was leaving next week.”

Daniel visibly stiffens, eyes widening open. “Oh…”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo replies. There a moments pause between the two, and Daniel’s expression is turning dark. “B-but, uh, do you want to go out and do something?” Seongwoo says quickly, hoping to keep Daniel from feeling sad.

Daniel hums again instead of giving a response, rolling himself back over to face away from Seongwoo.

This isn’t what Seongwoo wanted. He wanted to make Daniel feel better, not _worse._ “We can…” _Fuck, c’mon Seongwoo, think!_ “We can always hang up flyers?” Daniel likes walking around and hanging up flyers. “And I’ll buy us ice cream.”

That certainly catches Daniel’s attention. He rolls over, looking at Seongwoo. “With sprinkles?” he asks, ears twitching and tail wagging and it’s so fucking cute, Seongwoo wants to _die._

He gulps. “With sprinkles.”

  


________

 

  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever had as much ice cream in my life than I have in these past six months.”

Daniel laughs, taking a bite of his cone. “You’re welcome.”

“You’re covering my gym membership,” Seongwoo teasingly mumbles, nudging Daniel’s side. He goes to take a bite of his ice cream, but misses his mouth when Daniel’s tail nudges his hand. The ice cream hits the side of his face. _“Hey!”_ he whines, pouting.

Daniel sticks his tongue out. “You started it.”

Seongwoo scowls, deciding to take the mature route - by sticking his finger in Daniel’s ice cream and smudging it on his nose. Daniel jumps at the feel, almost falling off of the bench and nearly losing his cone. _“Hey!”_ he laughs, swatting at Seongwoo’s hand. “Don’t stick your gross fingers in my ice cream!”

“My fingers are not gross!” Seongwoo says back. He thinks he has pretty fingers, thank you very much.

Daniel rolls his eyes, finishing the rest of his ice cream cone in one bite. “So,” he says, cheeks stuffed full. “Should we head back?”

Seongwoo nods, using a napkin to wipe the ice cream off Daniel’s nose. “Yeah, it’s getting kind of late.” The sun’s already set, and the air is getting chilly. They definitely spent more time than Seongwoo thought...not that he’d complain.  They’ve probably been walking around for a few hours with the flyers, then stopped to get some tteokbokki at a street food stall, then some dumplings, then some chicken skewers, and then finally ice cream. He’s kind of regretting the ice cream now. He’s feeling grossly full from all of the food. He looks down at his ice cream, then to a nearby trash can, then to Daniel who’s eyeing the ice cream cone.

Seongwoo hands it over. “How do you even have _room?”_ he asks, a bit bewildered when Daniel also devours the cone in one bite.

Daniel smiles, smacking his lips. “There’s always room for ice cream.”

Seongwoo won’t argue with that.

The two catch the next bus from Hongdae back to Myeongdong. Seongwoo’s stomach is still churning from all the food, so he spends the ride leaning against Daniel’s shoulder as Daniel chirps about there only being one more week until _Infinity Wars_ is released and “I can’t _wait,_ it’s going to be awesome!”

Seongwoo just hums along, nearly falling asleep from his full stomach.

When they get off at their stop, Seongwoo continues leaning on Daniel. “You should carry me back…” he mumbles, trying to snuggle himself closer. Who allowed Daniel to be so comfortable?

Daniel giggles. “I would, but I think I may rip my jeans if I bend too low…”

Seongwoo looks down. These are the jeans that fit a bit too well on Daniel’s long legs and...other places and yeah, it’s probably a good idea to not tempt fate and have Daniel rip his pants. He coughs and stands a bit straighter. “I-I’ll just walk.”

“I can carry you,” Daniel laughs, pulling Seongwoo towards him. 

It’s so easy to fall back into Daniel’s arms, and for a moment Seongwoo wouldn’t mind if Daniel were to carry him back to the shelter. It’s not a long walk and it may be worth the risk of Daniel ripping his too-tight pants if Seongwoo can bury his face in Daniel’s shoulder and fall asleep. The way back is even dark, since the shelter is tucked away from the busy and lit streets from Myeongdong. It gets quieter as they go, with only a few others walking with them. It would be so easy to close his eyes and have Daniel carry him...

His phone starts buzzing, nearly giving him a heart attack. Daniel laughs when he jumps, and Seongwoo sticks his tongue out as he pulls out his phone and answers. “Hello-”

 _“You got it,”_ Jonghyun interrupts, sounding almost breathless.

Seongwoo stops in his tracks, hand gripping Daniel’s arm. He may have stopped breathing. “I-I...got it?” he whispers, unsure if he actually heard that correctly.

“You got the part. In the drama.”

He got the part.

_He got the part._

_“I got it?”_ he screams, jumping away from Daniel, no doubt a look of disbelief on his face. Some passerbyers stare at him like he’s gone mad, but Seongwoo can’t stop himself from jumping around on the sidewalk.

“Seongwoo, I’m so proud of you, this is great and -”

“I’ll call you back!” Seongwoo screams a little too loud back into the phone. He feels a bit bad for hanging up on Jonghyun, but his hands are beginning to shake from the adrenaline of _getting the part_ that he doesn’t think he can hold the phone for much longer. He stuffs the phone back in his jacket pocket and turns to Daniel.“I got it!” he screams again, and Daniel’s eyes light up immediately.

 _“That’s amazing!”_ he yells back, and he’s smiling and laughing, and Seongwoo’s smiling and laughing, and they both just yell at each other. They must look like fools on the street, but Seongwoo couldn’t care less. Instead, he lets himself fall into Daniel’s arms, throwing his arms around Daniel’s shoulders, burying his face into Daniel’s shirt. He feels like he could cry. He finally, _finally_ landed a drama role, a role he _wanted_.

Daniel’s arms wrap around him, holding him close. “I knew you could do it,” Daniel mumbles into Seongwoo’s hair. His words are filled with sincerity and admiration and Seongwoo’s heart _swells_. Daniel never stopped believing in him and supported him throughout this entire ordeal even though it meant Seongwoo would have to leave the shelter and has just been such an amazing friend, he’s done so much for him and he thinks there are tears running down his face but he doesn’t care because he’s looking at Daniel who’s smiling back at him and really Seongwoo could just kiss him right here, he’s so happy, he really can’t believe -

Daniel’s lips are warmer than Seongwoo thought they’d be.

He gasps, quickly stepping back and covering his mouth with his hand. Daniel’s frozen, eyes wide and staring back at him in shock, and _oh fuck_ what did Seongwoo just do? “I-I-” Seongwoo squeaks, but he can’t even think because his mind is racing. Did he really just do that? Did he really just _kiss Daniel?_ Even though that is literally the worst thing Seongwoo could have done at this exact moment?

“I-I-I’m s-sorry-” he eventually stutters, even though you don’t just say _sorry_ when you kiss someone without their permission. Especially a Cat who has a crush on you and you kind of have feelings for but are suppressing those feelings to protect said Cat from getting hurt. And said Cat’s cheeks are flaming now, and he’s still frozen in his spot, not moving an inch, breathing heavy and eyes still side in shock.

Seongwoo just ruined everything.

Now he _really_ feels like crying. “I-I..I’m sorry,” Seongwoo whispers again. He starts backing away from Daniel, tempted to make a run for it back to the bus.

Daniel blinks, taking as step towards Seongwoo.  “Y-Y-ou...you don’t have to be,” he whispers.

Seongwoo blinks back.

Oh.

“O-or w-we can just…” Daniel gulps, then takes a step back. Seongwoo thinks he’s shaking. “We can just forget it.”

Oh.

They can forget it, pretend it never happened. Seongwoo and Daniel can walk back to the shelter and say their goodnights. Daniel won’t tell anyone what happened. Seongwoo won't tell anyone. They can both walk away from this knowing it was a little mistake. And by next week, Seongwoo won’t be volunteering anymore. They can just forget it.

Except.

Seongwoo doesn’t want to forget.

So he takes a step towards Daniel, not breaking eye contact with, letting him watch as Seongwoo looks from his eyes then down to his lips, so Daniel knows that Seongwoo is going to lean in again.

When Seongwoo presses his lips against Daniel’s, Daniel doesn’t respond to the kiss right away. Seongwoo momentarily fears that maybe he pushed this too far, that Daniel is the one who wants to forget that this ever happened. But just as Seongwoo moves to pull away and run, Daniel sighs against his lips and kisses Seongwoo back - harder than Seongwoo expected - and Seongwoo finds himself holding onto Daniel’s arms in case his legs give out.

Daniel tastes sweet, like ice cream, even though his lips are still warm. It’s nice. _Fuck that,_ it’s more than nice. It’s something Seongwoo wishes he did earlier. Daniel feels so _warm_ when he places his hands on Seongwoo’s waist, when Daniel pushes against Seongwoo like he wants him _close_ , and Seongwoo can only pull him closer, even though Seongwoo’s body is already pressed against his, even though Seongwoo can _swear_ he can feel Daniel’s heart beating through his own body. And when Seongwoo swipes his tongue against Daniel’s lips, when Daniel lets out a helpless whimper and his knees seemingly buckle, Seongwoo knows there’s no going back. He needs Daniel closer, needs to know how fast Daniel can make his heartbeat, needs to know what other sounds can Daniel make, needs to know if Daniel is feeling this too.

But then Seongwoo’s reminded that he and Daniel are standing out in the middle of a street, where anyone can see them, where anyone could find them, and the thought has him pulling away. “W-we should -” Seongwoo gulps down air, and takes a step back out of Daniel’s hold. “ We should go.”

Daniel doesn’t say anything, but nods back after a few seconds. His lips are beginning to look swollen, and Seongwoo thinks he just lost his sanity.

The walk home is nothing short of awkward. Neither Seongwoo nor Daniel speak, even though Seongwoo knows that they need to talk about this. But what does he _say_? What do you say to someone you accidentally then non-accidentally kissed, and really want to kiss them again even though you have no idea if they want another kiss? Seongwoo can’t blame alcohol this time since he’s stone cold sober. His mind is racing, but by the time they make it back to the shelter gates he’s drawing a blank.

All he knows is he messed up.

“Uh,” Seongwoo gulps, turning to Daniel. If he can’t think of anything to say today, maybe it’s better to wait until another day. “H-have a good night.”

Daniel doesn’t respond. He just stares at Seongwoo, cheeks still red and still biting his lip. After a few silent seconds, his eyes trail down to Seongwoo’s lips.

 _Oh_.

Seongwoo shouldn’t. He’s pushed this further than he meant to, and he hasn’t even _thought_ of what’ll happen if Boa or Minhyun or Jaehwan find out because there’s surely rules against kissing the Cats if he’s still a volunteer and the last thing he needs is to get in trouble with the shelter right before he leaves and now that he’s landed a role and -

Daniel makes the decision for him and presses himself against Seongwoo, lips finding his and _fuck it_ , if Seongwoo is going to get in trouble for kissing Daniel than he’s going to enjoy it.

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD.  
> Literally though, I've been so jet lagged I want to die. T.T
> 
> BUT SEOUL WAS AMAZING I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE.   
> I WANT TO GO BACK SO BAD.   
> Also Wanna One's YoHi cookies??? Delicious??? I brought back like 4 boxes????
> 
> asdklf; i miss seoul already T.T BUT ANYWAY TO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS:

 

 

 

Once again, Seongwoo is on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how could he have let his life get so fucked up. 

Seongwoo kissed Daniel. Big mistake.

Seongwoo then kissed Daniel a second time. Even bigger mistake.

And then, for some reason, Seongwoo let Daniel  _ kiss him a third time.  _ What was he even  _ thinking? _

Trick question: he wasn’t. 

Seongwoo picks up his pillow and stuffs it into his face, screaming. As if it wasn’t already tough to say goodbye to Daniel and the shelter, Seongwoo had to go make things worse. Daniel still has a crush on him - that’s obvious. Now Seongwoo probably made Daniel’s feelings for him even stronger, which will make Seongwoo leaving harder on him. The last thing Seongwoo wanted to do was make this harder for Daniel.

And then now Seongwoo can’t even deny  _ his _ feelings anymore. He liked kissing Daniel. A lot. And he likes thinking back to it. And he likes thinking of Daniel, with his pink cheeks and goofy smile and deep laugh and bright eyes. But Daniel isn’t just some guy that Seongwoo can mess around with. He’s a Cat - a  _ sheltered _ Cat, one looking for a family to adopt him. And Seongwoo’s just a broke model who just got an acting role. 

Seongwoo screams again into the pillow. He needs to think. 

So Seongwoo likes Daniel. A lot. Okay. That’s easy. And Daniel likes Seongwoo. Lovely. But what’s  _ not _ easy is the fact that they both come with baggage. Daniel doesn’t just want someone that will kiss him. He wants a family, a stable home, and Seongwoo’s job won’t allow that. And Seongwoo doesn’t want to give his career up, even if he really,  _ really _ likes Daniel.

It’s all so frustrating. Seongwoo feels like his world has been turned upside down, and he’d really appreciate someone to tell him what he should do. Or at least, help him think all of this over. 

And at this point, there’s really only one person that can help.

So Seongwoo picks up his phone.

  
  
  


Are you home?  
11:49PM

 

**Kang Dongho  
** Yeah. Why?  
11:52PM

  
  


I fucked up and I need advice.  
11:52PM

  
  


**Kang Dongho  
** From me?  
11:53PM

 

It’s about Daniel.  
11:53PM

  
  
  


Dongho doesn’t move to respond, but not even a minute later there’s a knock at Seongwoo’s door, and he’s not surprised to see Dongho standing there. Dongho holds out a case of beer. “Sounds like you need this.”

Seongwoo groans in appreciation, taking the case from Dongho and leading him into the kitchen. He sets the case down on the kitchen table, grabbing two bottles to get them open. “You don’t mind drinking on a work night?” he asks.

“I had off anyway,” Dongho replies, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “So how did you fuck up with Daniel?” Immediately, Seongwoo’s cheeks flame, just remembering the kiss...es. It has Dongho snorting. “Wow. That bad, huh?”

 Seongwoo opens one of the bottles. “I…” Seongwoo gulps. He has to say it out loud. “...kissed Daniel.” The last part comes out as a whisper.

There’s a second’s pause, then Dongho raises an eyebrow. “And?” he asks, unimpressed.

Seongwoo turns around and blinks. “And...that’s a...bad thing...?”

“Did he kiss you back?”

Seongwoo flashes back to how Daniel pressed his body against his, hands wrapping around his waist, and  _ oh God _ is Seongwoo blushing again? He coughs. “Yes.”

“I don’t see how it’s a bad thing,” Dongho replies, looking amused. “You two finally realized you have feelings for each other. You sound like you enjoyed kissing Daniel -” Dongho rolls his eyes when Seongwoo starts stuttering out protests. “-I don’t see a problem here.”

“The  _ problem _ is that -”  Seongwoo sighs, opening the other bottle. “I like Daniel.”

“I know. And?” Dongho doesn’t sound impressed with Seongwoo’s answers. 

Seongwoo sighs again, bringing the bottles back to the table. “I can’t have feelings for Daniel.”

“Why?”

“B-because!” Seongwoo nearly shouts. Why is Dongho acting like this is not a big deal? “I wasn’t supposed to get feelings for Daniel!”

Now Dongho frowns. “What does  _ that _ mean?” he asks. 

“The reason I started working at the shelter was to use it to help get famousand get a drama role.” Seongwoo takes a drink of beer. “Not get feelings for one of the Cats.” He peaks over to Dongho, who slowly seems to understand what Seongwoo said. When his eyes send a frightening glare, Seongwoo squeaks. “I  _ know _ , I know it sounds bad! But I was just hoping it would help me gain fans and have management see me as an asset. I didn’t think…” Seongwoo gulps again. “I didn’t think I’d become so  _ close _ with everyone.” 

_ With Daniel. _

Dongho scoffs. “Remember when I first gave you the shelter’s number and told you not to get any of the Cats involved? This is what I meant.” He shakes his head, taking a drink. “Idiot…”

“I know, I’m an idiot, but I  _ swear, _ I haven’t used any of them, and I’m not going to.” There’s no way now Seongwoo’s using anyone at the shelter now, not after all this time. He takes a drink. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is Daniel.”

“You mean your feelings for him,” Dongho replies. 

“Well, yeah that’s part of it.” Seongwoo groans. “But Daniel wants a  _ family. _ And all he got was me not being able to control myself.” He takes another drink. 

“Have you thought that you’re the family Daniel wants?”

That has Seongwoo snorting, almost spilling beer on himself. “I dropped my family for my career. My parents still won’t speak to me. I barely talk to my sister.” He shakes his head. “I’m no family.” 

“But what if Daniel thinks you are?” Dongho sets his beer down. “I told you, Cats know when they found the person they want to be with.”

“You know how this job is. It’s late nights and long hours. I may not even be home for days. And Daniel’s been through so much…” Seongwoo shakes his head. He doesn’t want to think about that. “He should be with a family who can be there for him. And I can’t promise that.”

Dongho doesn’t reply after that. He’s been nodding along as Seongwoo spoke, and now he has a thoughtful look on his face. After another few moments, he says, “And you’re not willing to let Fantagio go for him?”

That has Seongwoo slumping in his chair, which is a good enough answer for Dongho. The other man just hums judgmentally as he takes another sip of his beer, and Seongwoo feels even shittier. It’s not that he  _ wouldn’t _ give up Fantagio - it’s just at this moment he doesn’t think he would want to. But he doesn't want to give Daniel up, even if that meant just being able to see him from time to time. But would just  _ seeing _ Daniel be enough for Seongwoo? And would just seeing be enough for Daniel? 

Seongwoo groans and slams his head against the table. This is all so  _ frustrating _ . 

“If you didn’t get this role, or if you weren’t modeling, would you adopt Daniel?” Dongho asks. 

Oh.

Seongwoo lifts his head off the table. “I-I -” He blinks. “I...don’t know.” Seongwoo hadn’t thought of that. It’s strange to think about, if Seongwoo wasn’t modeling. If he want working odd hours or had a stable income that didn’t rely on how many shoots he had. If he had a regular schedule that allowed him to be home at a decent hour…He gulps. “M-Maybe? But, I don’t know if I’d...if I’d be a good  _ owner?  _ Or if I’d give him what he needs?” He looks over to Dongho. “What if I adopt him and I’m not ready?”

“Trust me. You’ll never fully be ready.” Dongho shrugs. “You just need to be the best person you can be for the Cat.”

That doesn’t make Seongwoo feel much better. If he’d adopt Daniel, he'd want to feel 100% sure he was making the right decision. But then again, it sounds like Dongho knows from experience about not feeling ready… 

Seongwoo looks over again. “How did you know that you wanted to adopt Guanlin and Seonho?”

Much to Seongwoo’s surprise, Dongho chuckles. “Well…I started helping Minhyun out at the shelter after my dad died. He thought helping the Cats would pull me out of the hole I was in.”

Oh. 

Seongwoo didn’t know that, especially about Dongho’s father. He opens his mouth to apologize, but Dongho looks over to him and waves his hand. “Don’t worry about it.” He drinks the rest of his beer. “But Seonho and Gaunlin had been through a lot, and I guess we all helped each other feel a little less broken. And after a while, I realized I cared for them as more than just a volunteer, and I wanted them to be part of my life.” Dongho shrugs. “And that was that.”

“It was that easy?” Seongwoo asks, a bit in disbelief. 

“Of course not.” Dongho shakes his head. “Nothing is ever that easy. But we made it work because we  _ wanted _ it to work. We became each other’s happiness, and they became the most important people in my life.” He pauses, then gives Seongwoo a serious look. “Would you be happy without Daniel in your life?”

It’s almost laughable how quickly the answer comes. Seongwoo doesn’t need to think to know that he wouldn’t be happy if Daniel wasn’t in his life. He doesn’t need to recall how Daniel’s made life more full of laughter, a bit brighter, a little less lonely. Seongwoo knows that his life is happier with Daniel in it. 

But is that it? Is it really that simple? 

From across the table, Dongho sighs. “Seongwoo, I can't tell you what you should do. It’s something you and Daniel will need to talk about.”  He pushes his empty beer bottle away from him. “But don’t let him go just because you don’t think you’re ready. You should trust yourself.”

It sounds so, so simple, so easy…

Seongwoo groans again, head hitting the table. Of course it’s not that simple. 

After a few moments of silence, Seongwoo hears the chair across from him move from the table. He looks up and sees Dongho getting up. “I’ll leave these here,” Dongho says, motioning to the rest of the beers. “But Seongwoo, this is up to you now.”

“I know,” Seongwoo replies. He sighs, then gives Dongho a weak smile. “But thank you. For this.”

Dongho nods back. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Seongwoo stays seated when Dongho lets himself out. As soon as Seongwoo hears his door close, he lets his head fall to the table again. He kind of wished Dongho had given him a more direct answer, but Seongwoo knows he’s right - it’s up to Seongwoo and Daniel now to talk about their relationship. No one else can make the decision for them.

And Dongho’s right about one thing - Seongwoo wouldn’t be happy without Daniel in his life. And though he may be hesitant on being Daniel’s owner, that doesn’t mean that he and Daniel can’t be something else. 

Seongwoo likes Daniel. Maybe not as an owner, but like a crush. A deep, ridiculously strong crush. He likes when they go eat together and watch movies sharing the same blanket and when Daniel laughs at his lame jokes, and he’s now letting his mind think about taking Daniel out on dates and eating ice cream and cuddling with him and kissing him until their lips get sore. He thinks he wants to call Daniel  _ his _ \- just not as an owner. Maybe...like a boyfriend. It may not be what Daniel needs, but this could be the first step in their relationship. Seongwoo supposes that they have to start somewhere. 

If Seongwoo can find time to visit the shelter, he can definitely find time for Daniel. Or he can wait until filming is over. Filming won’t take more than a few months to complete. And by that time, who knows - maybe Seongwoo will have a better idea of his future with Daniel. Maybe this will grow into Seongwoo adopting Daniel, or maybe he and Daniel will just be friend. Anything is possible.

But right now, Seongwoo thinks he knows what he wants - he wants to be with Daniel. Whether or not Daniel will accept, Seongwoo doesn't know. But he and Daniel need to talk, and now Seongwoo feels a bit more confident in where he wants their relationship to go. So Seongwoo reaches over and picks up his phone. 

  
  


Next time I’m at the shelter, can we talk?  
1:14AM

  
  


**(^̮^) Niel (^̮^)  
** Yeah. I think we should.  
1:17AM

 

________

 

 

“You okay there?” Jonghyun asks.

Seongwoo stops bouncing his leg. “Sorry…” he mumbles. He must have zoned out. Ever since he spoke with Dongho a few nights ago, Seongwoo hasn’t gotten much sleep. All he can think about is what he will say to Daniel the next time they see each other, trying to find the perfect way to 1) apologize once again for kissing him without permission and 2) say Seongwoo wants to do it more often. 

Jonghyun smiles at him. “It’s okay to be nervous, Seongwoo. We haven’t met with these producers before.”

“It’s not the producers I’m worried about,” Seongwoo replies, sitting straighter in his chair. Though, now that Jonghyun mentions it, yeah he’s a bit nervous about them. Any minute now, some of the producers of his drama will walk into the conference room to go over his future schedules. They’ll tell him what they expect, what the broadcasting studio expects, and what Seongwoo can bring to the drama to make it the best it can be. And even though Seongwoo got the role, it’s not uncommon for actors to be dropped if the producers change their mind or the script takes a different direction. 

“Then what are you worried about?” Jonghyun asks, looking curious.

Oh.

Well, maybe Seongwoo should tell Jonghyun about his plans with Daniel. He probably would want to know, especially if Daniel accepts and the two become somehow involved. But before Seongwoo can reply, the conference room door swings open and in walks six smartly dressed men. Seongwoo must have let out a squawk of panic, since Jonghyun reaches out to give his hand a comforting squeeze.

“Nice to meet you, Seongwoo,” says a man in a blue suit.  “We’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“T-thank you,” Seongwoo replies, moving out of his seat to bow to the producers. 

The man in the blue suit motions for him to sit. “You’ve got a few weeks coming up,” he says, handing Jonghyun a piece of paper. Seongwoo cranes his neck and sees a list of dates and times. “We’ll need you in two days for your character profile shoot, so tomorrow we’ll have our stylists look you over and see if there’s anything they want to change.” He eyes Seongwoo. “Probably just a haircut.”

That’s a relief. Seongwoo was a bit worried for his hair.

“The first sit down script reading will be next week, and will be photographed, so make sure you arrive early enough to get makeup done,” another producer says. 

“Will there be an promotion for Seongwoo?” Jonghyun asks, looking up from the schedule. “Radio shows, appearances, articles?”

One of the other producer nods, typing on his tablet. “We have one article up on our official site announcing the main cast, Seongwoo included. We expect it will hit major news portals within the next few hours.” Once he’s finished speaking, he turns his tablet towards Jonghyun and Seongwoo. The article is titled “Fantatio Rising Stars cast in Upcoming KBS Drama,” which features Eunwoo and the female lead from another company. And then there’s Seongwoo, right underneath. It’s his Fantagio profile picture, along with some pretty kind words about his looks and skills.

“This is great,” Jonghyun says, eyes scanning the article. 

“PR planning on a few more - introduce Seongwoo and the other cast to the public, kind of thing,” says the man in the blue suit. “We’ll release them over the next few days.”

Jonghyun looks up from the article. “Any chance we can make Seongwoo a priority?”

The producer chuckles. “We’ll see what we can do.”

 

________

 

 

“That went well!” Jonghyun chirps next to Seongwoo as they walk out of the building. 

Seongwoo nods. “I didn’t get fired or puke, so I consider it a win.” He feels a flick against his head. 

“I’ll call Jisung and let him know about the article.” Jonghyun takes out his phone. “Maybe he can put together some material for the PR team to use.”

“He does know me better than anyone,” Seongwoo replies. If anyone could write about Seongwoo in a way that make him stand out, it would be Jisung. Seongwoo really wouldn’t want anyone else writing things about him. Then, the thought of Jisung reminds him: “Oh, uh, but before you do that…”

Jonghyun looks up from his phone, pausing on the sidewalk. “Yeah?”

“I, uh... just thought you should know…” Oh boy, here it goes. Seongwoo takes a breath.  _ “I might be asking Daniel out,” _ he says, a bit rushed.

Jonghyun blinks. “Out...on a date?”

“Yeah...” Seongwoo answers, running a hand through his hair. “I mean we’re already kind of going on dates, but we weren’t  _ dating, _ y’know?” 

Jonghyun obviously doesn’t know, and just gives him a confused look and maybe Seongwoo should have worded this another way. “Are you thinking of adopting him?” Jonghyun eventually asks.

“No, no!” Seongwoo quickly replies, shaking his head. “I need to focus on the drama. It’s just...” How can he say this. “I like him. A lot. And…” Seongwoo sighs. “I just don’t want to let him go just yet.”

“Oh,” is all Jonghyun says. His expression becomes unreadable, and Seongwoo wonders if he shouldn’t have told Jonghyun. Maybe this should have been a secret, or maybe this is a bad idea altogether and Seongwoo shouldn’t even think of trying to work things out with Daniel and he’s beginning to panic a bit in the middle of the sidewalk when Jonghyun breaks into a soft smile. “I’m happy for you,” he says.

Seongwoo gawks. “You  _ are?” _

Jonghyun nods. “Of course. I know that Daniel makes you happy. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on someone you care about.” 

Seongwoo has the best manager in the history of forever.

“Just...be careful,” Jonghyun continues. “You know how fans can get. And you wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the producers.”

Definitely not. The last thing Seongwoo wants to do is get in trouble with the producers or broadcasting station. Or worse, the fan following he’s been so carefully building over these past few months.

“Are you going to tell Jisung?” Jonghyun asks.

Oh, right. Jisung. Seongwoo sighs again. “I should, shouldn't I?”

Jonghyun nods. “It’s the right thing to do.” He smiles again. “But really, Seongwoo. I’m happy for you. Daniel’s a great person.”

Seongwoo feels his heart swell a bit as he nods back. “He really is.”

 

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

 

 

**Kim Jaehwan** ****  
What kind of cake do you want   
for Thursday???   
9:12AM

 

The cheesecake one!   
9:16AM

 

**Kim Jaehwan** ****  
Will do!    
9:17AM

 

**Kim Jaehwan** ****  
I can’t believe you’re leaving :(   
Just tomorrow and Thursday left :((((   
9:19AM

 

I’ll come visit!   
9:20AM

 

**Kim Jaehwan** ****  
You better! The Cats will drive us crazy   
if they don’t get to see you. They’re    
already missing you.    
9:22AM

 

I’ll miss everyone, too!   
9:23 AM

 

 

 

Seongwoo smiles when Jaehwan texts him back that he’ll see Seongwoo tomorrow. Seongwoo’s pretty stoked about his cake, and about seeing everyone. This will be the first time he’ll see the shelter since he got the drama role. He can’t wait to tell everyone the good news. 

And he’ll see Daniel.

Seongwoo nearly drops his phone at the thought of Daniel. This will also be the first time Seongwoo sees him since...their...kiss...es. And it will be the time that Seongwoo tells Daniel that he wants them to be together. He needs to mentally prepare himself so he doesn’t somehow screw it up. Because that would be the absolute  _ worst _ thing that Seongwoo can do. 

But before does that, there’s another anxious matter he needs to attend to.

“Congratulations!” Jisung yells when he opens his apartment door. He pulls Seongwoo into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

Seongwoo smiles and hugs him back. “Thanks, Jisung.”

“I know you probably have a dozen things with Jonghyun set up, but you and I need to sit down at do some planning for your social media,” Jisung rushes, dragging Seongwoo into his apartment. “And Fantagio just released a solo article about you!”

Seongwoo blinks. “They did?” That was fast. Seongwoo only just met with the producers yesterday.

“Uh-huh. And it’s great!” Jisung sits Seongwoo down on his couch. He turns his laptop towards Seongwoo so he can see. 

The title reads “Ong Seongwoo - Future Cha Eunwoo.” Seongwoo scans down the article and sees some of his older modeling pictures and CFs, as well as some words about his handsome looks. “Wow,” Seongwoo says. It really is a flattering article.  

From next to him, Jisung nods. “And it’s already up on Pann.” He grabs the laptop and switches tabs. “You’ve got a few good responses.” 

This time, the article has been linked in a Pann post. Seongwoo looks at the comments, and sure enough, they’re positive. He evens sees a few fans who say they recognize him from some shoots. “Wow,” he says again. It’s crazy to think that there are people actually talking about him now, that there’s people who  _ know him.  _

“I’ve talked to PR, and they said they’ll try to get you on Naver. Eunwoo has an article being released today, so maybe within the next few days we can work off that.” Jisung sighs, then flops himself on the couch next to Seongwoo. “I can’t believe this is actually happening.”

“Neither can I,” Seongwoo replies, leaning back against him. He gives Jisung a cheeky smile. “So are you taking me out to celebrate?”

Jisung rolls his eyes. “I’m not taking you to a strip club.” 

“First of all, I was  _ not _ going to suggest a strip club,” Seongwoo scoffs. “I was just going to suggest getting a drink.” 

“Oh, that sounds good.” Jisung cranes his neck, looking at the time on the laptop. “It’s not too early.”

It is only four in the afternoon, and Seongwoo really could use a drink. He was up early to meet with the stylists for his shoot tomorrow. They took his measurements and looked over his appearance (thankfully deciding just a trim on his hair was needed) before shuffling him over to meet with the photographer. Then there was a surprising meeting with the producers again to go over some changes in his upcoming schedule. It was hectic and dizzying, and a few beers sound good right about now.

And while it’s tempting to get Jisung drunk before telling him about Daniel, Jisung deserves the truth.

Seongwoo looks over to him, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to ask Daniel out.”

He feels Jisung stiffen a bit next to him. “Oh,” is all he says.

Silence falls between the two.

When Jisung doesn’t say anything further, Seongwoo coughs. “I’m, uh, not planning on dropping the drama or anything. But I don’t want to drop him either.” He turns towards Jisung. “I want to have both in my life.”

Jisung’s expression is unreadable. He’s still slumped against Seongwoo, eyes starting toward the laptop, and his continuing silence is making Seongwoo anxious. He wants Jisung to be happy for him. He wants Jisung to understand how important Daniel’s become to him. He’s been with Seongwoo through everything - is Seongwoo’s closest friend - and Seongwoo wants his approval.  

After what feels like hours, Jisung turns his head to face Seongwoo. “You really care about him.” It’s not a question.

Seongwoo nods. “Yeah,” he replies, still a bit tense. 

Jisung nods back, slowly. “And he makes you happy.”

“He does. A lot,” Seongwoo agrees, sitting up a bit. “And I’m going to stay focused on work. And maybe we’ll wait until filming is done. But...I don’t think I’d be happy without him.”

“And what happens if you can’t manage Daniel and your career?” Jisung asks back, also sitting up. 

Seongwoo blinks, startled. Jisung’s tone isn’t harsh, but his words sting a bit. “What makes you think I can’t manage both?”

“I’m not  _ saying _ you can’t. I’m asking what happens  _ if _ you can’t,” Jisungs frowns.  

That has Seongwoo pausing. “I...I don’t know,” he answers. He didn’t think about what would happen if he couldn’t make things work - he just hoped they did. He just hoped that everything would fall into place, and he can have both Daniel and his career.

“You’d have to let one go,” Jisung replies.

Seongwoo frowns. “That’s all you can think about right now? Me having to drop something if things happen to not work out?” he asks, now feeling angry. “You can’t even be  _ happy _ for me?” He’s telling Jisung that Daniel makes him happy, why isn’t Jisung  _ listening? _

“No, no. I’m happy for you,” Jisung says, moving off the couch. “It’s great you found someone you like. But I’m trying to be rationale -” 

“It sounds like you’re trying to convince me to drop Daniel,” Seongwoo interrupts, also moving off the couch. 

“I didn’t say that -” 

“Why can’t you let me be  _ happy?” _ Seongwoo interrupts again, this time louder. “Sure, it may not last, but I’m not gonna worry about what  _ could _ happen when I have a good thing right now!” 

“I just want to make sure you think this through,” Jisung replies, reaching for Seongwoo. 

But Seongwoo moves back out of reach, scowling. “I  _ have _ thought this through, and whether you like it or not, I want to give things a try with Daniel.”  Jisung opens his mouth to say something else, but Seongwoo turns around before he can say anything. “Forget about the drink,” he snides, walking out and slamming the door behind him.

Well that went well.

When Seongwoo makes it back to the bus stop where he came, he throws himself onto the bench and screams into his jacket sleeve. Of course this wouldn't go smoothly. Of course Jisung would pull the  _ Oh but what about your career? _ card. Why can’t Jisung see that he’s 100% committed to Fantagio? Jonghyun can see it. Or at least, makes Seongwoo think he can see it. 

Okay, that’s fine. So Jisung’s not the happiest with him. He’ll get over it. He has in the past.

Tomorrow is what counts, anyway. Seongwoo should just focus on tomorrow.

Tomorrow is when Seongwoo is going to tell Daniel his feelings.

 

 

________

 

 

Well, here he is. And Seongwoo may throw up.

He’s standing outside of the shelter, waiting until the wave of nausea passes so he can ring the bell. And once that bell’s rung, he’ll go in, see the Cats, and then proceed to ask Daniel if he’ll be his boyfriend. 

He’s finally got it all planned out. On the way over, he stopped by his and Daniel’s favorite chicken restaurant and picked up a box of Daniel’s favorite flavor. He then taped a pair of tickets for the premier of  _ Infinity Wars _ tomorrow to the box, with a note asking of Daniel would be the Spiderman to his Ironman. It’s absolutely cringeworthy, and Seongwoo knows that Daniel will love it. 

At least, Seongwoo hopes.

He uses the reflection off his phone case to check his hair one more time - the stylists thankfully cut his hair in a flattering way - before stuffing his phone in his pocket. And after one deep breath, Seongwoo just reaches out to press the buzzer without giving it a second thought. The more he sits here and thinks about things, the more likely he is to back out.

He really hopes that Jaehwan and Minhyun can keep the other Cats busy for a bit while he and Daniel talk things out. No doubt it’ll be awkward at first - this will be the first time they’ve spoken in a few days. Seongwoo kept wanting to text Daniel like he normally would, but he wants to speak with him in person. It’s the right thing to do. If all goes well, they’ll talk things out, discuss where they want to go from here, and hopefully it ends with them agreeing on something (and maybe kisses but Seongwoo won’t think about that now).

But speaking of which…

What’s taking Jaehwan so long?

Seongwoo frowns, looking at the buzzer. He rings it again.

Nothing.

That’s odd. He tries again, then again after a few minutes. It’s definitely three in the afternoon. Seongwoo made perfect time after his meeting with his stylists, and had enough time to grab the movie tickets and chicken. Did Jaehwan forget? Did something happen?

The thought has Seongwoo pulling out his phone, calling the front desk phone, and thankfully someone picks up on the second ring. “Myeongdong Central Cat Shelter,” Minhyun answers, voice calm.

“Hey, Minhyun. It’s me,” Seongwoo replies, relieved that Minhyun sounds calm. “Can you open the door?”

To Seongwoo’s surprise, Minhyun doesn’t answer right away. In fact, he doesn’t hear anything on the other end. He pulls the phone away from his ear and - nope, still on the line. He puts his phone back to his ear. “Hello?” 

“Oh…” Minhyun finally answers. “Sorry, Seongwoo, we don’t need you today.”

What.

Seongwoo frowns. “Oh...” That’s odd. Yesterday it sounded like he’d be needed. He looks down at the box of chicken in his hands. “Well, can you let me in anyway? I have something for Niel.”

More silence. Is there something wrong with the connection? 

Eventually, Seongwoo hears: “I...don’t think that’s a good idea,” Minhyun says, slowly. “Niel’s...not feeling well.”

Seongwoo startles at that. “Is he okay? Can I see him -”

“I think you should go home, Seongwoo,” Minhyun interrupts, practically hissing.

And then hangs up.

Seongwoo doesn’t move, stunned that  _ Minhyun _ of all people would hang up on him and speak to him like that. Seongwoo’s never heard Minhyun speak like that  - not even when Woojin and Jihoon broke the television during one of their fights. Something must be wrong if Minhyun’s speaking to Seongwoo like that.

Did he say something wrong? All he asked was if Daniel was okay…

_ Oh god. _

Seongwoo quickly calls Daniel, anxiously looking up at the shelter. What if Daniel was sick? So sick that it was causing Minhyun stress? 

When Daniel doesn’t respond, Seongwoo’s heart sinks to his stomach. Niel always answers his calls. Is he really that sick? Seongwoo puts the chicken down on the street to send Daniel a text, asking if he’s alright and to  _ please _ give Seongwoo a call. As soon as it sends, Seongwoo stares at his phone, waiting to see if Daniel will reply. Five minutes in though, and no answer.

_ Okay, no need to panic, _ he thinks. Daniel’s probably sleeping. If he’s sick, he needs rest. That makes sense. 

He has half a mind to call Minhyun back just to make sure, but by the elder’s tone it may not be best to bother him again. So he gives Jaehwan a call, but Jaehwan’s not answering either. And now he wishes he had one of the Cat’s numbers to ask them, but he never asked.

_ Ugh, this is so stupid. _ Why wouldn’t Minhyun tell him about Daniel? He looks back down at the box of chicken and the tickets, then to the shelter. Something is definitely wrong, and if Minhyun won’t tell him, then he’ll find out through someone else.

So he calls the next best source.

“Hello?” Dongho answers.

“Hey, do you know if Daniel’s sick?” Seongwoo asks, walking back towards his bus stop. He may as well go home if Minhyun won’t let him in.

“Uh...no?” Dongho answers, sounding confused.“Why?”

“Minhyun sounds pissed. He hung up on me when I tried to buzz into the shelter.”

“That doesn’t sound like Minhyun. Did you do something?”

_ Of course  _ Dongho would assume Seongwoo did something wrong. “I don’t think I did!” he whines. “I haven’t been at the shelter in a week!” He hasn’t spoken to Minhyun since the last time he worked. Which also happened to be…

He stops in his tracks. “You...don’t think he’s mad because I kissed Daniel, do you?”

Dongho laughs.  _ “Please,  _ if Minhyun knew, he wouldn’t be upset about that.”

That’s surprising. “H-he wouldn’t?” 

“Jesus, no. In fact, he and Jaehwan here hoping -”

Dongho’s voice stops, cute off when Seongwoo’s phone starts ringing. Immediately, Seongwoo pulls the phone away from his ear to see who it is - and feels immediately disappointed when he sees it’s Jonghyun. He quickly tells Dongho he’ll call him back, and then answers the other line.  “Oh, hey, what’s -”

_ “Did you see the article about you on Nate?” _ Jonghyun interrupts, sounding breathless.

_ Nate?! _

Seongwoo almost drops his phone.  _ “N-no!”  _ he wheezes, trying to keep his voice down now that he’s hit the main street of Myeongdong. “There’s an  _ article? _ When was it released? What does it say? Did they use good pictures?! How many people commented -” 

“It’s about the shelter.”

Seongwoo blinks. 

He must have heard wrong. “The….shelter?” That wouldn’t make sense. Why would there be a Nate article about the shelter? No one knows about - 

“The article is about you volunteering at the shelter,” Jonghyun replies, still breathless. “There’s pictures. Of the Cats. And you.”

There’s pictures.

Of the Cats. 

Seongwoo seems to forget how the breathe. “That’s not... _ possible, _ no one knows -”

There’s  _ pictures. _

Of the  _ Cats.  _

_ No. _

_ “T-the shelter?” _ Seongwoo cries when it all clicks.  _ “How did they find out?” _

_ “I don’t know, _ Seongwoo,” Jonghyun replies, and Seongwoo can  _ hear _ the frustration in his voice. “I’m on hold with PR right now, and they’re trying to take it down, but no one knows how it got there.” He groans. “It’s been up since this morning.”

_ Oh fuck. _

There’s an article about him on a major news portal. About him working at the shelter. With pictures of the Cats. 

_ Oh no. _

How could this  _ happen?  _

There’s a handful of people who knew Seongwoo was volunteering, but there’s only three of them who would think to post it on Naver. And if Jonghyun didn’t tell PR, and neither did Seongwoo - 

_ Jisung. _

 

________

 

 

Jisung opens his front door. “Hey, what are you -”

_ “Did you tell them?”  _ Seongwoo screams, pushing past Jisung and darting to Jisung’s laptop that Seongwoo knows is at his kitchen table. 

“T-tell who  _ what?” _ Jisung nearly yells back, bewildered as he chases after Sengwoo. “What the fuck are you doing?” 

“There’s an article on Nate about me and the shelter and  _ my fucking phone won’t load it on mobile _ and -” Seongwoo just growls, unable to finish the sentence in his frustration. He opens Nate, typing his name into the search bar. The article pops up, and Seongwoo nearly chokes at the title:  _ Fantagio Actor Ong Seongwoo’s Heart of Gold.  _

“What does it say?” Jisung asks from over his shoulder.

Seongwoo doesn’t respond, just silently clicks on the article. 

 

_ Hul...Fantagio’s new actor Ong Seongwoo is so handsome….just like Eunwoo….  _ _   
_ _ He was a model before but also volunteered at a Cat shelter in Myeongdong. _

_ The Cats look like they really like him  _ _ ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ Look how happy they all are. _

_ Ong Seongwoo has a new fan  ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ Let’s walk the flower path from now on! _

  
  


And then there’s the pictures. 

The post didn’t even bother blurring anyone’s faces out. There’s Jihoon and Woojin laughing at him from Valentine’s Day. There’s Daehwi lying on his lap from a few weeks ago, and another of him helping Jinyoung with his homework around Christmas. And there’s Daniel.

So much Daniel.

There him and Daniel from Daniel’s birthday party. Him and Daniel from one of the shelter’s movie nights. Him and Daniel laughing at each other, smiling at each other, leaning against each other. There’s even a picture from when Daniel visited Seongwoo on his photoshoot set so many months ago, a picture Seongwoo didn’t even know  _ existed.  _

And among the pictures are almost a hundred comments, all about how Seongwoo is  _ such a nice person _ and how  _ amazing _ it is too look that good and be a good person and how Seongwoo’s going to get  _ so many fans _ because of this and -

This isn’t want Seongwoo wanted.

He sits back on the couch, looking over to Jisung.  _ “Did you do this?” _ he whispers, voice cracking.  

“I didn’t!” Jisung replies, furiously shaking his head. “I had no idea that any would -”

“Then how did they find these pictures?!” Seongwoo yells. “No one else knew about shelter!” 

“These are pictures from  _ Instagram,  _ Seongwoo. Anyone can see them!” Jisung snatches the laptop and furiously types. “See!”

And there they are - all of the pictures up on the shelter’s Instagram. The very pictures Seongwoo uploaded.  _ Of course.  _ That’s where these came from. All but the picture of he and Daniel the day Daniel visited the photoshoot set are there. Seongwoo had no idea someone took a picture of Daniel when he was visiting, but it wouldn’t have been hard for someone to snap something with their cell phone. He shakes his head.“B-but how did the  _ producers _ find out?  _ Did you tell them?” _

Jisung shakes his head back. “I didn’t say anything! You said you didn’t want to use it!”

Jisung didn’t tell anyone. Jonghyun didn’t tell anyone. Seongwoo didn’t tell anyone. “T-then...then who -”

Jisung slowly reaches out to him. “Seongwoo, you need to calm down -” 

Seongwoo hadn’t even noticed his breathing getting shallow or when is body started shaking, but he can’t just  _ calm down _ when he’s thinking of who has seen this article and what they’d think of it because this is  _ bad, _ the Cats are on  _ Nate, _ this wasn’t supposed to happen and all of a sudden everything that’s happened to day makes sense because why else would Minhyun not let him in the shelter, why else no one is answering his calls, why Daniel’s not answering - 

He chokes.

_ Daniel. _

 

 

________

 

 

“Daniel, it’s not what it looks like. I can explain,  _ just call me.” _

 

 

 

“Niel,  _ please _ call me back. I didn’t ask for those pictures to be used, I  _ swear.” _

 

 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

 

 

 

_ “Daniel, please.” _

 

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO GUESS WHO'S BACK.
> 
> So basically this past month has been my paper, work sucking the life out of me, and then KCON and THEN getting sick. BUT I AM HERE NOW.
> 
> and i'm sowwy that the last chapter was mean :( hopefully this makes it better!

 

 

“Seong-”

Seongwoo  _ screams, _ body lifting off his bed - er, couch? - when he feels someone poke his shoulder. His head nearly collides with Jonghyun, who immediately jumps away. “Sorry!” his manager squeaks in terror. 

His heart is pounding from the scare, mind not catching up to what’s going on. “Wha -” Seongwoo looks around and,  _ uh, _ this isn’t his apartment. It’s Jisung’s. 

He frowns. Why is he in  _ Jisung’s _ apartment? When did he fall asleep?  What happened last night -

Oh.

The article.

Jisung didn’t let him leave once he started getting dizzy and had trouble breathing. He spent hours on Jisung’s couch, trying to get in contact with Daniel, Minhyun, Jaehwan,  _ anyone. _ He must have fallen asleep late into the night, and by the look on Jonghyun’s face, it shows.

“How are you feeling?” Jonghyun asks. “Jisung told me you weren’t feeling well yesterday? You look…” He looks Seongwoo up and down, almost grimacing. “...awful.”

Right. Jonghyun doesn’t know. Seongwoo sighs, stretching. His body feels sore - he definitely didn’t sleep right. “I think Daniel knows about the article.” 

It takes a few seconds for Jonghyun to understand. When he does, his eyes grow wide. “Oh no,” he whispers.  

Seongwoo nods, slow.“Yeah, and I was calling him last night, but I must have fallen asleep…” He trails off, looking down at his phone. He hits the home button, but nothing happens. It must have died after he passed out. He sighs, then looks up at Jonghyun. “Did you find anything out?”

His manager shakes his head. “PR was able to take the article down, but no one in that department knows who wrote it. They said it wasn’t them.” 

From behind Jonghyun, Jisung appears, looking a bit frazzled and running a hand through his hair. “Okay, morning, I know you’re still freaking out about Daniel and the article, but you have a script reading in an hour and a half in Mapo and-”

_ “Shit!” _ Seongwoo hisses, immediately jumping up off the couch.  _ The script reading. _ This is the first script reading for his role and  _ he’s going to be late. _

Before he can race to the bathroom to shower, Jisung catches him by his sleeve. “No time!” he exclaims. “We’re leaving now!” He turns to Jonghyun. “I’ll call Minki and see if he has time to to do Seongwoo’s hair and makeup.”

Jonghyun nods back. “I’ll call Sungwoon and see if he has extra clothes.”

“B-but what if -” Seongwoo looks to his (dead) phone. 

“I’ll keep your phone with me in case anyone calls,” Jisung answers, picking it up off the couch. “But we need to  _ go.” _

 

 

________

 

 

“You’re lucky I’m a genius and can do make-up in five minutes,” Minki clucks, yanking Seongwoo’s head back to finish putting on eyeliner.

“And you’re lucky that I like you,” Sungwoon chirps back from the couch. 

“I know, I know, I owe both of you big time,” Seongwoo replies as best he can without disturbing Minki. It’s true though - he’s lucky that Minki and Sungwoon were at the CJ E&M Center today and free after helping the other actors. Sungwoon quickly got him into black jeans and a blazer, and Minki’s nearly finished with his makeup

That has Minki humming in approval. “So what kind of mess did you get yourself into to get these dark circles?” 

Seongwoo tries not to startle at the question. “I...just had a late night.”

Minki raises an eyebrow. “Oh? With anyone in particular?” His ears perk up and Seongwoo immediately knows who he’s talking about, and just the  _ thought _ of Daniel makes Seongwoo’s chest tighten because what is Daniel doing right now? Is he okay? Of course he’s not fucking okay if he saw the article, but what if he’s huddled under blankets crying or if he’s angry and breaking things in his room and Seongwoo needs to calm down before he starts hyperventilating and -

Minki shakes his shoulder. “Woah, are you -”

Seongwoo jumps out of his chair. “I-I’m fine!” he squeaks, quickly grabbing his things off Minki’s counter. “Thanks!” He ignores Sungwoon’s calls as he runs out of the dressing room, nearly running into Jonghyun who was standing outside. 

“Hey-” Seongwoo cuts him off by dragging him down the hall, briskly walking towards the elevator. “Seongwoo!” 

He punches the button for the 8th floor. “W-we have to go before it starts and the producers get there and-"

“Seongwoo!” Jonghyun pulls back. “You need to calm down.

_ “I am calm!” _ Seongwoo whispers back, and even  _ he _ can hear the lie.

Jonghyn puts his hands on Seongwoo’s shoulders. “Seongwoo, it’s just three hours,” he says, softly rubbing his shoulders. “Three hours, and you can go home and we can figure things out.”

Three hours. 

Just three hours.

He can do this.

Seongwoo takes a deep breath, nodding. “Three hours,” he repeats.

Jonghyun nods back. “And Jisung has your phone downstairs if anyone calls.”

Seongwoo nods again. If anyone were to call, Jisung could talk to them.   

He can do this.

When the elevator dings, Jonghyun shuffles them both inside. He’s still holding onto to one of Seongwoo’s shoulders, a comforting hand that’s making Seongwoo feel better. Or, as good as he can.

As soon as the door opens, Seongwoo’s grabbed by production assistants who lead him into a large conference room. Several of Fantagio’s actors are already seated, buzzing. One of the rookie actresses gives Seongwoo a wave when he walks by, pointing a few seats down.

“You’re down here!” she says.

Seongwoo gives her a small smile, and then takes his seat. He looks over his shoulder for Jonghyun, who’s speaking with who looks like a photographer. 

Right, this will be photographed. 

He tries not to groan at loud as he turns back in his seat. 

“Hey Seongwoo!”

Seongwoo jolts, looking up and  _ oh, _ it’s Eunwoo. He’s looking good in a black button up, especially when he smiles down at Seongwoo. “How’ve you been?” he asks. Then, his face lights up. “Oh! Congratulations on the role! I haven’t seen you since you got it.” 

Any other time, any other day, Seongwoo probably would melt on the spot, maybe compliment Eunwoo on how nice his shoulders look in that shirt. But all Seongwoo can do is give him a weak smile. “Thanks.”

Eunwoo frowns. “Is something wrong?” 

Seongwoo quickly looks down at the script. “Just tired…” he mumbles, busying himself by flipping the pages.   

Eunwoo doesn’t speak right away, but eventually gives a soft “Oh…” Seongwoo feels a bit like an asshole, but he really doesn’t want to speak to anyone right now, even Eunwoo. 

Thankfully, one of the producers yells over the conversations for everyone to take their seats. Eunwoo shuffles to the head seat, and after a few minutes, it begins. 

The three hours go quickly. Seongwoo thankfully makes it through his lines. In any other circumstance, he’d be  _ ecstatic _ over the screen time he’ll be getting in episode one - it’s a pretty decent amount for a secondary character. But all he can do is stare at the clock, willing it to move faster so he can get out of here.

Of course, everytime one of the photographers pointed their camera in his direction, Seongwoo immediately looked down at the script, putting on his best concentration look. What an actor.

“And that’s a wrap!”

Seongwoo jumps. He didn’t even realize they had gotten to the end of the script. 

“Good job, everyone!” the director says, and that’s everyone’s cue to relax and start chatting. Seongwoo immediately jumps out of his seat, briskly walking towards Jonghyun, who’s chatting with another manager.

When Jonghyun catches his eye, he straightens up and bows to the manager, then catches Seongwoo’s arm. “You did great!” he exclaims, walking them both out of the room.

“Did I?” If Seongwoo were honest, he wasn’t even paying attention to how he was doing - he was just going through the motions. 

Jonghyun hits the elevator button. “You did! Everything sounded natural.” He leans in, close. “How are you feeling?”

“Anxious,” Seongwoo answers honestly. “I just want to go.” He pauses. “And maybe get something to eat.” He’s now realizing he hasn’t eaten all day, and is beginning to feel his stomach churn.

Jonghyun gives a soft chuckle. “That sounds good.”

When they make it to the ground floor, they spot Jisung sitting on one of the couches. He’s speaking to a production assistant, and quickly waves when he sees them coming. “How did it go?” he asks when the assistant walks away.  

“He did great!” Jonghyun answers for him. “But we can talk over some food.” 

Jisung looks over to Seongwoo. “Uh, so there’s a launch party in a few days that you’re invited to and-”

“No,” is all Seongwoo replies. 

_ “Seongwoo, _ you should go. A lot of important people will be there,” Jisung says, slow, like he’s talking to a child. 

“I don’t want to.” Seongwoo looks down to Jisung’s hand. “Did anyone call?” he asks, reaching out for his phone. 

Jisung hands it over. “No, no one called. But really, Seongwoo, this would be great networking-”

“How about we talk about it over lunch?” Jonghyun interrupts. He doesn’t give either of them a chance to answer before he’s walking over to the exit, dragging them both by the wrist.  While Seongwoo doesn’t want to wait to tell Jisung that no, he’s not going to go to some  _ networking _ event. He needs to figure out how to clear up this mess with Daniel and the shelter.

But all thoughts are out when security stops Jonghyun from stepping out the main doors.

“There’s fans outside,” one of the guards says. “We can bring your car around.”

“Oh,” Jonghyun replies. “We...don’t have a car.” It’s true. Seongwoo’s never needed his own car before. With his low status, he’s always been able to take public transportation. But judging by the screams that he can hear through the doors, he really needs to invest in one.

“We have room.”

Seongwoo turns, seeing Eunwoo and his manager walking up behind them. “We can drop you off,” Eunwoo continues. He looks at his manager. “Is that okay?”

His manager shrugs. “Fine with me.”

Jonghyun looks at Jisung, then Seongwoo. “Are you okay with that?”

While Seongwoo really just wants to be alone for a while, he doesn’t want to deal with fans right now. Especially ones that loud. “Yeah,” he nods to Eunwoo. “Thanks.”

Jonghyun nods back, then motions to the security guards that they’re ready to leave. 

As soon as the doors open, Seongwoo’s met with shrieks and flashes and hands trying to grab his clothes. Jonghyun immediately grabs one arm and Jisung the other, and they both flank his sides as they walk through the mob. Cameras are going off everywhere Seongwoo can see, though it’s not far since lenses are shoved in his face, nearly hitting him. Jisung and Jonghyun pull him through the crowd, guiding him to the parking garage where Eunwoo’s car is. It’s loud and crazy and Seongwoo’s never experienced  _ this _ before. He momentarily thinks these are all Eunwoo’s fans, but he definitely hears his name coming from some of the girls surrounding him. It has him stumbling, especially when he hears a fan scream  _ “Seongwoo, I’m gonna adopt a Cat now!” _ but Jisung tightens the grip on his arm and pushes him through until he’s being shoved into the back of a van.

He hits his head against the far side window when he jumps into the backseat.  _ “Shit,” _ he hisses, grabbing his head. 

“Sorry!” Jisung squeaks, quickly sitting next to him. Jonghyun hops in after, followed by Eunwoo and his manager. 

Though his own ears are ringing, Eunwoo seems as calm as ever, which has Seongwoo raising his eyebrows. 

“You’ll get used to it,” Eunwoo says with a sad smile when he sees Seongwoo’s expression. “So, where to?”

 

 

________

 

 

“...Seongwoo!”

He jolts, almost knocking over his coffee onto Jisung’s lap. “W-what?” he stutters, looking over at Jonghyun.

Jonghyun gives him a soft look. “Aren’t you going to eat? You said you were hungry.”

Seongwoo looks down at his sandwich that he hasn’t even touched. He  _ was _ hungry, but after the run in with the fans (who chased the van down a few blocks), he lost his appetite, even though Eunwoo’s manager was nice enough to drop them off at a Starbucks in Hongdae. Instead, he’s been staring at his phone, waiting for something,  _ anything. _

But all he’s getting is silence.

“Maybe Daniel just needs a few days to cool off,”  Jonghyun tells him, putting a hand on Seongwoo’s shoulder. “I bet he’ll reach out soon. It’s an hones t misunderstanding.” He gives Seongwoo a smile, then turns to Jisung. “But I think we should lay low for a bit. We don’t want anything else unexpected.” 

“Just not the party,” Jisung replies, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Jonghyun tilts his head. “You think so?”

“It’s only for invited guests. There’s no fans or reporters.” Jisung takes another bite. “Like I said, it’d be great networking.”

Jonghyun says something back, but Seongwoo doesn’t pay attention. He drowns their voices out, looking down at his sandwich. He probably should eat a bit, but the thought of food is making his stomach churn. So he pushes his plate away and leans back in his seat. 

What he really needs to do is find a way to get in contact with Daniel. He’s kind of wishing he did give Minki Daniel’s number all those weeks ago, then maybe Minki could try and talk to Daniel. 

There’s also Dongho - Dongho may be able to get Seongwoo in contact with Daniel. Or Seonho and Guanlin. Seongwoo should stop by when he gets back home and see if any of them has heard anything. He’s pretty sure Minhyun would have spoken to Dongho by now, and if that’s the case then Seongwoo can figure out the best way to apologize. Hopefully Jonghyun’s right - hopefully Daniel just needs a few days to cool off, and then he’ll listen to Seongwoo.

Hopefully.

He sighs, kicking his feet a bit under the table. This is all so stupid. Why can’t things work out in his favor for once? 

Jonghyun and Jisung are still talking about the stupid party, so Seongwoo ignores them further by looking out the window, angrily watching everyone who passes. They all seem content, peaceful like they don’t have a problem in the world. From the group of grandmothers walking past happily chatting, to the group of teenage girls on their phones and the Cats they almost run into, some businessmen looking for a place to eat lunch, and don’t even get him started on-

Wait a second.

_ He knows those Cats. _

“Seongwoo!” Jonghyun calls after him when he jumps out of his seat. Seongwoo ignores his calls, just focusing on running out the store door and weaving through the crowd, brushing past shoulders to reach out to the pair of Cats that are walking away, calling “W-wait!” and they’re turning towards him and - 

He doesn’t get another syllable in before Jihoon pounces.

_ “You asshole!”  _ Jihoon screams, eyes lighting in furious recognition. His fist goes flying and he nearly hits Seongwoo across the jaw, only missing because Woojin grabs his arm.

“J-Jihoon!” Woojin exclaims, but Jihoon takes a swing with his other arm. He misses again, but Seongwoo feels the wind rush between the fist and his face.

“We trusted you!” Jihoon cries, face turning bright red. “And you just  _ used _ us!” 

Seongwoo puts his hands out in case Jihoon tries to punch him again. “J-Jihoon, wait, I-”

“You used _ him!” _

_ Him. _

_ “N-no!” _ Seongwoo cries, furiously shaking his head. “I didn’t want to-”

“Did you even care about him?!” Jihoon growls, pushing Woojin off him. “Did you even care that he wanted you as  _ an owner?!” _

Seongwoo can’t breathe.

_ “You broke him!” _

Everything around him starts moving in slow motion, and he can’t hear anything other than Jihoon’s words echoing in his head. 

_ You broke him. _

He doesn’t even feel when Jihoon pushes him, doesn’t feel when he trips over the sidewalk and falls on his ass. All he feels is numb. 

Daniel wanted him as an owner. 

There are hands helping him up, pulling him on his feet and away from Jihoon and he thinks he hears yelling, but everything sounds fuzzy, as if he’s underwater. He’s not even sure who’s grabbing him or where he’s going until he hears a familiar voice.

“Are you okay?!” Jisung screeches. He grabs Seongwoo’s shirt, checking him over. “Are you hurt?”

Seongwoo can’t answer. He still feels in a daze. The only thing he can really process is Jihoon and Woojin being pushed in the opposite direction by strangers.  

“What was that about?” Jisung asks, still checking Seongwoo.

“Oh no.” 

Seongwoo and Jisung look over to Jonghyun, who’s staring down at his phone. “Another article was posted,” he says, looking up in horror.

Another article.

Seongwoo snaps, grabbing Jonghyun’s phone.

 

_ Future Star Ong Seongwoo “One in a Million.” _

 

It’s an interview with one of the drama producers, about Seongwoo’s past projects, his possible future and - 

 

_ “Actors like Seongwoo are one in a million. We aim for someone who works hard and has good character. Seongwoo fits that perfectly. We were so impressed with his volunteer work.” _

  
  


And the comments -

  
  


_ Eunwoo with Ong Seongwoo today, both so handsome!  
_ _ They’re working hard for their new drama. Let’s cheer them on! _

  
  
  


_ I went to the shelter he volunteered this morning. There were a lot of fans already. One of the Cats said Seongwoo hasn’t been there in a while. He’s probably so busy now. _

 

_ Seongwoo’s blonde Cat friend is handsome!ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ  Seongwoo likes handsome friends.  _

 

 

Attached are pictures at the shelter, at the front gate. The pictures are blurry, as if taken in a rush, but there’s no mistaking the familiar blonde ears ducking away from whoever’s taking the picture as he walking into the shelter.

They took pictures of Daniel.

Fans found the shelter and took pictures of Daniel.

Seongwoo’s going to be sick.

Jonghyun takes his phone back. “We’re leaving,” he says.   _ “Now.”   _

 

 

________

 

  
  


“Who is it -”

As soon as Seonho’s face falls, as soon as his ears turn down at his sight, Seongwoo knows it’s true. 

_ He broke him. _

“S-Seonho -”

Seongwoo doesn’t get another word in before Dongho appears, pushing Seonho away from the door and behind him. “What do you want?” he sneers, the harshest Seongwoo’s ever heard him speak. He turns back to Seonho, motioning into the apartment. Seonho walks off, but gives Seongwoo a disappointed look before he goes.

Seongwoo can’t breathe.

“I-I d-didn’t want those articles to be w-written-”

“I’m not the one you need to tell,” Dongho cuts in. 

“But no one will  _ listen _ to me!” Seongwoo wails, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “Daniel’s not answering me and-”

Dongho scoffs at that. “Can you blame him? Can you even imagine how  _ embarrassing _ it must be for him?”

Embarrassing. Seongwoo embarrassed Daniel. Worse than that, probably. He broke Daniel’s trust.

He broke Daniel.

“I...I didn’t want this,” he whispers, throat constricting and eyes burning. 

“Then fix it,” Dongho sneers.

He slams the door shut.

 

 

________

 

  
  


“Daniel please… _ please _ call me, I didn’t want this happen.”

  
  
  


“I’m sorry. I’m stupid and I’m sorry and  _ please _ talk to me.”

  
  
  


“You weren’t a charity project. You never were. You’re so much more.”

  
  
  
  
_ “Daniel, please.” _

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i lied ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello everyone how are you all doing :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Kim Jonghyun  
** Seongwoo, what happened? What  
did Dongho say? Can you call me?  
5:23PM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung  
** Are you home?  
8:49PM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung  
** Are you sleeping?  
11:12PM

 

 

**Kim Jonghyun  
** Call me back, please.  
7:22AM

 

 

**Ha Sungwoon  
** Please call me back, I need to talk to you.  
8:30AM

 

 

**Choi Minki  
** So why did Dongho just call you a waste of air?  
What did you do?  
9:56AM

 

 

 

**Kim Jonghyun  
** Are you okay? You’re not answering.  
11:22AM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung  
** Seongwoo answer the Goddamn phone.  
3:10PM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung  
** Did you really just spend that much on soju and beer?  
6:14PM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung**

Ong Seongwoo if you don’t answer me  
I swear  
6:02AM

 

 

**Yoon Jisung**

That’s it.  
1:32 PM

 

 

 

________

 

 

 

There’s a strange sense of deja vu when Seongwoo feels his bed covers being pulled down and a familiar voice yelling over him. He swears he’s been in this exact spot before, even down to the voice sounding as if it’s underwater. He tries to jerk away from the cool air that hits his body, but he can’t seem to get his arms to move. Or his legs. Or his head, that he now feels is _pulsing._ Should he be worried that there’s someone in his room and he can’t move to fend them off?

_“Get. Up.”_

Ah. He keeps forgetting he gave Jisung the spare keys to his apartment.

In all honesty, Seongwoo would find this situation a bit hilarious if he didn’t feel like he’d puke.

Immediately, he sits up, pushing Jisung away so he can heave over the side of the bed. He thanks himself for not eating anything the day before, because nothing but air comes up.

“Oh for fucks sake…” he hears Jisung sigh.

Seongwoo wants to roll his eyes at his publicist, but even the thought has him hissing in pain. So once he’s stopped choking over the floor, he gently sets himself back down against his pillows. “Hi,” he groans. The room is spinning, even with his eyes closed. “What do you want?”

He feels Jisung sit at the edge of the bed. “You haven’t answered your phone in two days. I got worried.”

Seongwoo huffs, opening his eyes and sitting up (bad idea - his stomach churns again). “‘M fine…” he mumbles, as if he didn’t dry heave seconds ago. It doesn’t have Jisung fooled, and his gaze drops to the bed, then floor, no doubt looking at all of the soju bottles littered around.

Maybe Seongwoo should have cleaned up a bit before he passed out.

“No, you’re not fine,” Jisung replies, picking up a soju bottle. “You’re wallowing in self pity.”

_Here we go._

Seongwoo groans again, lying back down. “Leave me alone...” he mumbles, turning over so he faces away from Jisung.

“Not happening. You have the launch party in a few hours.”

Seongwoo snorts and snuggles himself deeper into his sheets. “I’m not going.”

Silence falls between them, and Seongwoo waits. Silence is never a good thing when it comes to Jisung. It’s usually followed by a lecture.  “Seongwoo,” Jisung eventually says. “I know you’re upset but-”

_That_ has Seongwoo moving. He darts off the bed, head whipping and eyes glaring. _“Don’t,”_ he hisses, even though the nausea comes back full force. _“Don’t_ even start.”

His tone doesn’t scare Jisung away, and the older man just scowls back. “Yes, I’m going to _start,_ because I’m not going to see you get back to living like this.”

“Like _what?”_

“Like _this!”_ Jisung yells, and sweeps his arms around the room. “Getting blackout drunk! Not leaving your room! Giving up! You’re upset about Daniel, but don’t throw everything away because-!”

“Don’t you _dare_ blame this on Daniel!” Seongwoo yells back, grabbing the nearest object and throwing it at Jisung. Lucky for him, it was just a pillow. But Jisung still looks shocked.

“I’m not blaming Daniel! I’m blaming _you!”_ Jisung takes the pillow and throws it back at Seongwoo, and hits him square in the face. “You’re choosing to do this to yourself!”

Seongwoo opens his mouth to yell back, but he can’t really argue with that.

Yeah, he’s doing it to himself. He’s very well aware.

He’s well aware that he broke the trust of some of the only friends he’s made in the past few years of his life, and of the only person he’s truly, truly cared for. And he’s very aware that after sitting in silence, realizing no one is going to call him back, he ventured to the local convenience store and bought a case of soju. And while Seongwoo’s also aware that drinking his feelings is not the best way to go about this mess, it’s the only thing that helps Seongwoo forget:

_He broke Daniel._

Just the thought makes Seongwoo’s stomach churn again. He scowls - at Jisung, and himself. “Why can’t you just leave me-”

“Ong Seongwoo, you _are_ going to that party tonight if I have to drag your ass their myself,” Jisung interrupts, catching Seongwoo’s arm and pulling him out of the bed.

He shrieks when he sees Seongwoo’s not wearing any underwear.  

 

 

________

 

 

_“Please,_ I’m fine, really-”

Jonghyun ignores him and pushes another water bottle into his hands.

Seongwoo whines. “I’m not hungover anymore…” Jonghyun’s already given him five bottles of water over the past two hours.

“Shut up and drink.”

Okay, so Jonghyun’s still a bit mad about Seongwoo ignoring his calls and showing up to Jonghyun’s apartment still hung over. Which, he gets, but Jonghyun doesn’t need to force feed him water. Seongwoo frowns at the bottle. He’s really going to have to piss.

His manager pushes him along the hotel lobby. “We go in, you mingle, and then we’re having a _long_ talk when we get back,” he scowls.

Wow. In the three years Seongwoo’s know Jonghyun, he’s never seen him this mad. Seongwoo must have really pissed him off.

The hotel where the launch party is being held is the most upscale hotel Seongwoo’s ever stepped foot in. There’s a _fountain_ in the middle of the lobby, and everything is trimmed in gold paint. And when he and Jonghyun give their names to the security guards and are let into the ballroom, two waitresses hand them full glasses of what Seongwoo assumes is champagne.

Jonghyun immediately takes Seongwoo’s. “Nope,” he says, handing it back to the waitress. “You’re cut off.”

Well then.

The ballroom is decorated floor to ceiling in KBS promotions. There’s posters and standees for other KBS dramas, as well as some of the promotional shots for this drama. Seongwoo sees his own character profile up on a poster, and tries not to grimace. It seems so long ago that Seongwoo looked forward to seeing himself on a poster for a drama.

They bow to a few producers and staff as they walk towards the middle of the crowd. Seongwoo’s received to see some familiar faces, some staff he’s worked with in the past. Those he hasn’t seen since he’s gotten the role come up to congratulate him, while others he doesn’t know try to make small conversation to be polite. He tries his best to smile back, even if on the inside he doesn’t want to be here.

Halfway through a conversation, Seongwoo feels a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to talk to some of the PR guys,” Jonghyun says, motioning over to one of the tables. “Come find me when you’re done.”

When he walks away, Seongwoo makes a break for it, bowing to whoever he was speaking to and running to the restroom. One, he really, _really_ needs to pee. Two, he can hide out here until Jonghyun’s ready to leave.

He’s lucky that the bathroom is just as fancy as the hotel. There’s a couch in a waiting area, and Seongwoo makes himself comfortable once he’s done his business. He sighs and lets his body slump against the pillows. Not only is the couch more comfortable than the one he has home, but he’s still feeling a bit sick. He probably should lay off the alcohol for a while.

He’s not sure how long he sits for, but eventually he feels something buzzing in the cushions….

_His phone._

Seongwoo rips it out of his pocket, holding his breath, _praying_ that -

It’s Sungwoon.

Seongwoo sighs. Well, it could have been Jonghyun trying to find him.

He has half a mind to ignore it, but Sungwoon did text earlier. And Seongwoo may as well get back to talking to people who still like him. With one more sigh, he answers, “Hey Sungwo-“

“I think it was me,” Sungwoon interrupts, hurried and anxious.

Seongwoo blinks. “What-“

“The articles,” Sungwoon says. “I think I’m the reason they were put up.”

_The articles._

Seongwoo’s ears are ringing.

“A week ago I was talking to one of the drama producers while on a shoot, and they talked about you, and I just mentioned how you were helping out at the shelter and still had time for modeling and… I don’t know, he asked more about it and I didn’t think anything about it-”

_The producers._

“-and then Jonghyun was talking about how the producers knew about the shelter and how upset you were and -“

“Sungwoon, it’s not your fault,” Seongwoo interrupts, voice so calm that it surprises himself.

_“No_ , Seongwoo, it’s my fault.” Sungwoon pauses, trying to catch his breath. “I’m so _sorry._ I didn’t know it’d hurt anyone. _”_

_Hurt anyone._

“I didn’t either…” Seongwoo whispers, closing his eyes. Never did he think he would hurt someone over this. Never did he think he’d care. But Seongwoo hurt them.

_He broke Daniel._

“Seongwoo-“

“It’s not your fault. It’s _mine_ ,” Seongwoo says. Sungwoon is going to keep placing the blame on himself, and Seongwoo isn’t going to let him feel upset over his own mistake. “I messed up, and I’ll explain everything later.”

He hears Sungwoon whine, obviously not happy, but Seongwoo assures him again that it’s not his fault before he hangs up.

So the drama producers planted the article. That explains why PR didn’t know about it - it wasn’t authorized by Fantagio. The KBS producers were behind it. And the reason they knew about the shelter was because Sungwoon casually mentioned it. And Sungwoon mentioned it, because Seongwoo never told him that he decided to keep it a secret. Sungwoon thought he was helping him out.

Seongwoo can’t even feel angry at Sungwoon. He has no one to blame but himself. It was his idea from the beginning.

This is what he wanted, after all.

He needs a drink.

“Whatever you have that’s strong,” is what Seongwoo tells the bartender when he makes it back to the ballroom. He slides onto one of the stools. “And make it a bottle.”

The bartender doesn’t even bat an eye when she places a bottle of soju in front of him, only looks at him with out as he downs the shot and then holds his glass out for more. She fills his glass, then leaves the bottle in front of him as she moves on to someone else. Seongwoo pours his third shot himself once he downs his second.

“Hey, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo startles, nearly dropping his glass. He slowly turns his head, expecting Jonghyun’s disappointed look, but is surprised to see Eunwoo.  “Oh, hey…” he replies back.

“You okay?” Eunwoo gives him a smile and takes the seat next to his. “I don’t want to pry or anything but…” He bites his lip. “You’ve just seemed…down.”

Seongwoo resists the urge to scowl. “I’m fine,” he mumbles, turning a bit away.

“Do you want to talk about it?”Eunwoo replies. He scoots his seat closer. “Or at least-” Eunwoo takes his glass and pushes it away, out of reach. “Slow down a bit?”

Great. Now Eunwoo thinks he’s an alcoholic.

Seongwoo sighs and leans back in the chair. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“Why do you _care?”_ Seongwoo growls, a bit harsher then he meant. His tongue feels looser with the alcohol, and judging by Eunwoo’s surprised look, maybe he _should_ slow down.  

He’s about to apologize when Eunwoo gives him another smile. “I don’t know…” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ve always been bright. I guess...I’m worried since I’ve never seen you like this.”

Now Seongwoo feels surprised. “You _noticed?”_ he gawks.

“Of course,” Eunwoo replies, with a little laugh. “It’s not like we’re strangers, right?”

Oh.

Seongwoo feels like an idiot.

Well, more than before.

But it’s _embarrassing._ He never once thought that Eunwoo knew he existed, let alone consider him closer than a stranger. Sure, they’ve worked together before and have held small conversations, but Seongwoo’s always assumed Eunwoo was out of his league - personally and professionally. But Eunwoo sounds like he’s never thought of Seongwoo as less than an equal. And Seongwoo treated him like dirt.

Add him to the list of “People Seongwoo’s Hurt in the Past Week.”

The thought has him slouching on the stool. “Sorry I’ve been an asshole,” he says. “A lot’s...just been going on.”

“Is it about those articles?”

Seongwoo chokes. “Y-you know about those?”

Eunwoo nods. “Jonghyun spoke to my manager about them.”

Right. Eunwoo was mentioned in the articles. Jonghyun probably made sure Eunwoo knew that they weren’t the ones who sent them out. “ Yeah…” Seongwoo sighs. He looks over to his glass, then lets out a sad laugh. “I had volunteered at a Cat shelter to, I don’t know-” He shakes his head. “Try to get fans. But then I actually started enjoying being with them.” He lets out another sad laugh. “And then I went and let myself fall for the Cat who just wanted to find a home and deserves so much more than me. And then the articles posted and they used his pictures, and I probably made him feel like I was just _using_ him and I-” He pauses, trying to find the right word to describe how much of a failure he is. When no words come to mind, Seongwoo just says: “I’m...an idiot.”

Once he’s done, he looks over to Eunwoo, who looks a bit confused.  Maybe he should have listened to Jonghyun and stayed away from alcohol.

But then Eunwoo is giving him another sad smile. “You really care for him,” he says. It’s not a question.

“Yeah…” Seongwoo replies, nodding his head. “I was gonna ask him out the day the first article leaked.” He laughs again at himself. “I thought I could make everything work, him and this job. Now he hates me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Two of his friends sounded very specific.” There’s no mistaken the fury in Jihoon’s eyes, the sadness about Woojin’s face.

_He broke Daniel._

He reaches for his glass again.

“Well, what are you going to do?” Eunwoo asks, pushing the glass away for a second time.

Seongwoo frowns. “Do about what?”

“Your friend?”

Seongwoo blinks, then points to the glass. _“That_ was my plan.”

Eunwoo follows his gaze. “Well...you _could_ do that.” He looks back to Seongwoo. “But if you really care for him, don’t give him up. If you think he’s worth it, fight for-”

“Seongwoo!”

Both Seongwoo and Eunwoo turn their heads. It’s the producer who wore the blue suit to the meeting a few days ago. He’s standing next to a small table next to the bar, with a few other staff members Seongwoo’s seen at the KBS studio. He’s got a bright smile on his face and a shot glass in hand. “Glad you could make it!”

Eunwoo’s quick to get up from the stool to bow to him as he walks over. Seongwoo should as well, but as Seongwoo scans the men at the table and the producer walking up to him, all he sees are the people responsible for the articles.

The people responsible for hurting Daniel.

The producer gives Seongwoo a smile. “So Seongwoo, how has your first few-”

“Why did you post those articles?” Seongwoo interrupts, narrowing his eyes.

Eunwoo chokes next to him.

The producer blinks, a bit taken aback, and, okay, Seongwoo _definitely_ should have listened to Jonghyun and stayed away from alcohol. But the need for answers and justice is louder, and he’s going to get them.

The producer throws his head back and laughs. “Just a little publicity!” he says, slapping Seongwoo on the back. “We need our future star to get his name out there!”

Seongwoo’s nose turns at the smell of alcohol on the producer’s breath. “But why did you use _those_ pictures?” he asks, voice cold and unwavering.  “Why did you use the pictures with the Cats?”

“Well, you can blame our social media intern on that,” the producer replies, putting his glass down and motioning for the bartender to fill it. “She forgot to blur out the faces.” He smiles at Seongwoo. “She was promptly fired, if it makes you feel better.”

No, it really doesn’t make Seongwoo feel better.

_“Cats_ , though,” the producers goes on, “Genius! Was that your manager’s plan?” He smiles to the bartender, then takes his shot. He clears his throat when he’s done. “Not many people could volunteer like you did. Cats are quite the handful.”

“Didn’t you have a Cat, Park?” one of the writers from his table shouts, laughing.

The producer looks over _. “I_ didn’t,” he replies, “My _wife_ did. And that was-“ He pauses, hiccuping. “Five years ago.”

“And then you dumped his ass on the side of the road!” another director shouts. The table laughs.

From his seat, Eunwoo throws Seongwoo a worried look. “Sir, would you want to meet my new manager?” Eunwoo asks, getting up off the stool. He gently places a hand on the producer’s shoulder.

But the producer pays him no attention. “Terrible Cat, _clingy_. It was a miracle that Soomin and I were able to get rid it before we moved from Busan to Gangnam,” the producer continues. “I couldn’t have imagined living with him in the apartment...”

It’s funny, how after all the alcohol he’s consumed within the last few days, his little sleep he’s gotten, how fast his brain puts the pieces together. How the details are just specific enough that Seongwoo doesn’t have to think too hard. As the producer struggles to remember the name, Eunwoo tries to lead him away, as the table of staff still laugh, how Seongwoo just _knows:_

“Daniel,” he whispers.

The producer was Daniel’s owner.

_“_ _That_ was it!” The producer snaps his fingers. “Daniel!” He pats Seongwoo on the back, the turns to Eunwoo. “If I had to spend another day listening to him -“

His nose makes a satisfying _crunch_ under Seongwoo’s fist.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Seongwoo!

 

 

 

“Alright, one more time,” the officer sighs, running a hand down his face. “You  _ did _ punch Mr. Park, but -”

“He left a friend of mine to  _ die _ on the side of a road,” Seongwoo scowls. What wasn’t this guy getting? Seongwoo’s been repeating himself for the past hour, was the officer actually listening?

Said officer sighs again, but scribbles in his notebook. “Okay, okay.” Once he’s done writing, he closes the notebook. “Wait here,” he tells Seongwoo, before getting up from his seat. Seongwoo scowls again, following the officer with his eyes as he walks back into the ballroom. 

Jonghyun moves from where he was standing to sit next to Seongwoo on the lobby’s couch. Seongwoo looks over. “I’m gonna get dropped from the drama, aren’t I?”

Jonghyun nods, not even looking at him. “Definitely.”

“And probably fired from Fantagio.”

“Probably.”

“And not ever be able to get another job in this industry.”

“Likely.”

_ “Fuck,” _ Seongwoo moans, dropping his head into his hands. “I just ruined  _ everything.” _

Jonghyun doesn’t speak right away. It takes him a few seconds before he sighs. “As your manager, I’m obliged to tell you yes, you did fuck everything up.” Seongwoo feels Jonghyun’s hand on his shoulder. “As your friend, I think you should have punched him harder.”

That has Seongwoo snorting. “I think I hurt myself more than I hurt him…” he replies, shaking out his hand. It’s unfortunate that the  _ Crunch _ he heard was actually  _ his _ fist, not the producer’s nose like he intended. Though, the producer still was knocked off his feet and his nose began to bleed, which was a plus in Seongwoo’s eyes.

Jonghyun snorts back. “I guess I should be thankful you never did take my advice and get a gym membership.”

“I am too.” Seongwoo looks down at Jonghyun’s hands, which haven’t stopped fidgeting with his phone. “Have you called Jisung yet?” 

His manager shakes his head. “I figured we may as well wait to hear what the police say.”

That’s a good idea. If they’re going to tell Jisung about this, they may as well just make one phone call. That is, if no one from the party has told him already. 

_ Yikes. _

Seongwoo tries not to think about this getting out, even though someone is bound to talk, whether it’s one of Fantagio’s staff or someone from KBS. He’s lucky that the ballroom was pretty loud and most of the staff were a few drinks in when he punched Park. It was only Eunwoo and the other producers who saw Seongwoo throw a fist. Most of the other staff and actors just saw Park walk away with a bloodied nose, and probably caught a glimpse of Seongwoo being dragged away by a flustered Jonghyun.

He still wishes he hit Park harder.

“Well, kid-”

Both Jonghyun and Seongwoo jump, turning their heads to the police officer who’s talking back toward them.

“It’s your lucky day. Mr. Park isn’t pressing charges.”

Jonghyun falls off the couch. 

Seongwoo chokes a bit. “H-he’s  _ not?!”  _

The officer shakes his head. “No. He says he’s just wants to make sure his nose isn’t broken.” He shrugs. “But, that could be the alcohol talking. I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Seongwoo is the luckiest motherfucker on the planet.

But -

“What about  _ him? _ Are you questioning him?” he asks the officer.

The officer frowns. “About what?”

He must be joking. “His  _ Cat _ that he abandoned?” 

“Seongwoo-” Jonghyun says, tone low, but Seongwoo ignores him.

“You’re just gonna let him walk free?” He feels Jonghyun’s hand on his shoulder, tightening. A warning.

The officer looks down at him, a frown on his face. “Look, kid. If you wanna bring your friend down to the station and give a statement, fine. But there’s nothing I can do without it.” He shakes his head. “If I were you, I’d just be thankful I’m not walking out of here in handcuffs.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jonghyun quickly answers for Seongwoo. “Sorry for the trouble.”

The officer shakes his head again, before walking back to the ballroom.

“H-hold on!” Seongwoo calls after him, then whips his head around to Jonghyun.  “What was  _ that? _ You’re just gonna let him walk away!”

“Seongwoo!”

“Park  _ abandoned _ Daniel!”

“And you  _ assaulted _ him!” Jonghyun hisses back. “Did you hear the officer? You’re lucky you’re not  _ arrested!”  _

_ “Park’s _ the one who should be arrested!” 

“Oh my God…” Jonghyun runs a hand down his face. “We’re not talking about this now.” He gets up from the couch. “We’re taking you home and calling Jisung.”

Seongwoo shifts away from grasp. “I’m not leaving here until-”

_ “Now, _ Seongwoo.” 

 

  
  
_________   
  
  
  


  
  


“So how long before Jisung strangles me?”

Jonghyun snorts. “If he makes it through the door without impaling you, I’ll be surprised.”

That has Seongwoo snorting back. Jonghyun had called Jisung on the way home, saying that there was an emergency. And unsurprisingly, Jisung just  _ knew _ Seongwoo did something, and said he’d race over to Seongwoo’s apartment. So really, Seongwoo wouldn’t be surprised if Jisung burst through the door throwing fists. 

Like Seongwoo did. 

A part hysterical, part panicked giggle escapes Seongwoo’s mouth at his own joke. 

He’s fucked.

He wonders if it’s too late to grab his passport and get on the next flight to Australia when Jisung comes bursting through the door, red in the face and hair in disarray. “W-what hap-pened?” he wheezes, sliding down the door frame.

Jonghyun quickly runs to him, helping him up off the floor. “Are you okay?”

“I ran ten blocks,” Jisung replies, propping himself up against the wall. “What’s the emergency?”

Jonghyun doesn’t answer, instead turning to look at Seongwoo. Wow, is his manager really going to make  _ him _ tell Jisung?

Cruel. 

Seongwoo coughs from his couch. “I, er, I…” He takes a breath, and makes sure nothing sharp is around him. “...Punched one of the producers in the nose.”

Jisung blinks. 

“I-It didn’t break though!” Seongwoo quickly says, holding out his hands. “A-and the police said he wasn’t going to press charges!”

Jisung hits the floor.

_ “Jisung!” _ Jonghyun cries, picking Jisung up again. Seongwoo jumps off the couch and helps his publicist stand. He’s gone strikingly pale, and Seongwoo wonders if they need to call an ambulance. 

When they set Jisung down, Seongwoo goes to the kitchen to grab a water bottle. When he returns, Jonghyun has Jisung lying down, propping his head up with a pillow. Seongwoo hands him the water bottle. “Uh...do you need me to call someone?” 

Instead of answering, Jisung slowly opens his eyes. “You punched. A producer,” he mutters, softly.

“Uh….” Seongwoo gulps. “Yeah.” He gives his publicist a smile.

_ “You idiot!”  _ Jisung roars, hurling himself forward. His hand almost reaches to swat Seongwoo’s head, but thankfully Jonghyun’s reflexes are fast. Jonghyun pushes Jisung back down to the couch, and Jisung growls at him.  _ “Let me go! _ I’m gonna kill him!”

“No one’s killing anyone until we come up with a plan!” Jonghyun yells back. He shoves Jisung again when the older makes another move to hit Seongwoo. 

Jisung, though, is not going down without a fight. He sits back up. “How could you  _ punch _ a  _ producer?!” _

Seongwoo drops the water bottle and picks up one of his pillows to block Jisung’s hands. “I wasn’t  _ thinking!” _ he shouts from behind the cushion. “And I told you! Nothing was broken!”

“That doesn’t make it any better, you  _ dumbass!” _

_ “Both of you! Shut up the fuck up!” _

Wow, he’s hearing a lot of new things out of Jonghyun today. 

Seongwoo and Jisung look at Jonghyun, who smacks them both upside the head. “Instead of fighting, we need to figure out what to do!” He turns to Jisung. “So  _ you, _ get off your ass and do something helpful. And  _ you-”  _ He turns to Seongwoo, snatching the pillow from his hands. “Sit there and keep out of trouble!” 

He gives Jonghyun a dramatic pout, but does sit properly on the couch like he’s told.

Jonghyun nods, then turns to Jisung. “I’ll call PR and see if they can block any articles from leaking.”

“I’ll call KBS,” Jisung replies, getting off the couch. “Maybe there’s something we can say to keep Seongwoo on the drama.”

Jonghyun nods again. “As long as we can-”

He’s interrupted by a forceful knock on Seongwoo’s door. 

Seongwoo moves off the couch, frowning. It’s not that late in the night, but if Jonghyun and Jisung are here, there really isn’t anyone else who would be knocking on his door.  

“-Get ahead of this,” Jonghyun continues as Seongwoo walks away. “We can’t wait until it gets leaked out.”

Seongwoo opens his front door to a furious looking Dongho. 

“So you’re punching producers now,” his neighbor says, holding up his phone.

_ Too late. _

Seongwoo tries to hide the panic that spreads across his face. “Wh-What are you-”

“Friend of mine who was at the party told me some idiot punched one of the producers.” Dongho rolls his eyes. “Didn’t have to think too hard about who that was.” 

_ Shit.  _

“L-Look, it’s not what i-it sounds like-”

“Sounds like you’ve fucked up,” Dongho interrupts, pushing past Seongwoo to enter his apartment.

Seongwoo chokes. “W-wait, I didn’t invite you-”

“Hey, Jonghyun,” Dongho greets, ignoring Seongwoo. “It’s been a while.”

Jonghyun walks in from the kitchen, phone glued to his ear. He pauses when he sees Dongho. “Hold on,” he speaks into his phone. “Uh, hey?” he greets back, confused. “What are you-”

“Staff at the party texted me about some loser punching a producer.”

Jonghyun curses under his breath, quickly walking back into the kitchen and speaking faster into his phone. Dongho sighs, then looks to Jisung, who’s sat back on the couch and on his phone. “I don’t think we’ve officially met.”

“Dongho, this is my publicist, Jisung,” Seongwoo says for Jisung when the older just frowns at Dongho. “Watch it, he may attack.”

Said publicist covers the speaker on his phone so he can whisper a harsh  _ “Fuck you!” _ to Seongwoo.

_ Well then. _

Dongho snorts. “Anyway-” he says, sitting himself down on Seongwoo’s couch, right next to Jisung. “What are you gonna do to get out of this mess?”

Seongwoo blinks, then scowls. “I don’t remember asking  _ you _ for advice.”

“It sounds like you need all the help you can get.” Dongho shrugs.  

“I thought you said you didn’t care what I did in my personal life?”

“I consider this more…wanting to see how things works out.”

Now Seongwoo is the one snorting. That must be Dongho’s nice way of saying he wants to see Seongwoo crash and burn. Wonderful.

“Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo turns to see Jonghyun walking back from the kitchen. He motions for Seongwoo to sit on the couch. 

Jonghun takes a deep breath. “Fantagio said they’re going to reach out to KBS and see if they can cover it.” 

“That’s good,” Jisung says, hanging up his phone. “I can’t get hold of anyone there.”

Jonghyun nods. “If KBS decides to drop you from the drama, hopefully we can use something like scheduling conflicts or health.”

“And _if_ it does get out,” Jisung continues, now typing in his phone. “We should get an apology statement ready and-"  

“No.”

Jisung stops typing, Dongho coughs, and Jonghyun whips his head to look at Seongwoo. Seongwoo frowns at Jisung. “I’m not apologizing.”

“Seongwoo...this really isn’t up for argument,” Jonghyun slowly says, but Seongwoo shakes his head.

“I’m  _ not _ apologizing to him.”

There’s another moment of silence between the four. Seongwoo keeps his gaze on Jonghyun, almost afraid to see the look that Jisung is giving him. His manager takes a deep breath, then says, “I know you’re upset, but you  _ really _ need to trust us on this.”

Seongwoo feels Jisung lean in closer to him. “What happened?” he asks, confused.

“The producer was Daniel’s owner,” Seongwoo growls back. He cracks his knuckles. Just the  _ thought _ of Park is making Seongwoo’s blood boil again. 

That gets Dongho’s attention. He pushes himself forward on the couch, staring at Seongwoo with wide eyes. “He’s  _ what?” _

Seongwoo nods. “He was Daniel’s owner. The one who left him to  _ die _ on the side of a road.” He looks back to Jonghyun. “So  _ no,  _ I’m not apologizing to him.”

Jisung grabs his arm. “Seongwoo, you can’t  _ not _ apologize. Apologizing may save your career!”

Seongwoo pulls his arm away. “I’m  _ not _ apologizing to him! He deserves getting punched for what he did!”

Jisung makes a choked sound in the back of this throat. “Y-You’re letting your feelings cloud your judgement!” Jisung shouts. “Apologizing to him isn’t going to change what he did, but it may help  _ you!” _

“I don’t  _ care _ if it’ll help me!”  Seongwoo yells back. “He  _ hurt _ Daniel, and I’d never apologize to someone who did that!”

“You don’t care if you throw your  _ career _ away?”

_ “No!” _

“And  _ why _ not?” 

_ “Because!” _ Seongwoo finally roars, his anger getting him up off the couch. He stands over Jisung, hands in fists and shaking. What isn’t Jisung  _ getting?  _ Why does he always have to question Seongwoo when it comes to Daniel?    

Jisung, though, doesn’t cower away. “Because  _ why?” _ he challenges. “Tell me why, Seongwoo. Tell me what’s going on in that thick skull of yours.”

_ “Because!”  _ Seongwoo shouts again. He looks from Jisung, to Jonghyun, to Dongho. “Because…”

Because it’s  _ Daniel.  _

Because Seongwoo would never forgive anyone who hurt Daniel. 

Because Seongwoo doesn’t even care if he tarnished his reputation. He doesn’t even care if he loses his role in the drama, or gets fired from Fantagio, or never finds another job in this industry again. He could care less.

Because Daniel - goofy, bright, warm Daniel - is worth so much more than his career. He’s worth more than the fame and the fans and the producers and the directors. He’s worth so, so much more.

Because…Seongwoo likes Daniel. He really likes Daniel. He likes Daniel so much. He lo-

Realization hits Seongwoo square across the face, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending a shiver down his spine. The word flashes in front of his eyes and  _ Oh, _ is this what it does to people? Has them choking on air and making their chest tighten in a way that  _ hurts,  _ even though, in the back of his mind, Seongwoo’s known?

Jonghyun looks taken back, and Seongwoo wonders if he looks as bad as he feels. “Are you okay?” his manager asks, quickly grabbing Seongwoo’s arm to keep him steady.

“Let him go, he’s fine. Just realized how big of an idiot he is,” Dongho says, shaking his head. “About time, though. You almost made me lose my bet to Minhyun.”

If Seongwoo could breathe properly, he’d have some choice words for Dongho.

From across him, Jonghyun’s expression slowly changes, from worried to confused, and then to wide eyes of understanding.  _ “Oh,” _ he says. 

Seongwoo makes a mental note to stop making friends who place bets on his love life.

Jisung turns to Dongho. “What?” He whips around to Seongwoo again. “Time for what?”

His heart is still pounding when he shakes Jonghyun off of him, one thought in his mind: “I-I have to tell him,” Seongwoo wheezes, brushing past Jonghyun to grab his shoes. He has to tell Daniel. He  _ has _ to. He broke Daniel but maybe,  _ maybe _ he can make it right. The shelter’s closed to the public, but maybe Seongwoo can find a way inside. Or he’ll climb the fence and break through a window. Somehow, he  _ needs to get inside and tell Daniel. _

“Tell who  _ what?” _ Jisung whines, still on the couch.

Seongwoo’s got one shoe halfway on when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head and sees Jonghyun standing over him. “Seongwoo, you can’t just go to the shelter!”

“Oh yes I can.” 

“Minhyun’s not gonna let you through the door,” Dongho calls. 

Oh. Right. Minhyun and Jaehwan. And Boa. And the other Cats. That will probably prevent him from seeing Daniel. Jeez, Seongwoo’s made a lot of enemies within the past week.

“But what if I-”

_ “What is going on?!” _ Jisung interrupts, bolting off the couch to stamp his feet. “What am I missing?”

“Seongwoo loves Daniel,” Jonghyun responds to him. 

“And is just now realizing,” Dongho finishes, sounding bored. He looks back to Seongwoo. “So how exactly do you plan on getting  _ into _ the shelter?”

“Uh…” Seongwoo lets out a shaky laugh. “I was kind of hoping they’d let me in?” 

Dongho facepalms.

“W-Wait a minute!” Jisung yells, stamping his foot again. “You’re  _ serious _ about not apologizing?”

“There’s no way they’re letting  _ you _ in,” Dongho says before Seongwoo can answer Jisung. “But...maybe someone else.”

Seongwoo blinks. “Are you volunteering?”

His neighbor shrugs. “Got nothing better to do.” 

“D-Don’t encourage him!” Jisung hisses, slapping Dongho’s arm.

“I’ll go too,” Jonghyun adds. He looks down at Seongwoo, giving him a smile. “Someone needs to keep you out of trouble.” 

Seongwoo really needs to give his manager a raise. 

_ “Unbelievable!” _ Jisung groans. He stomps to the kitchen, hands flying in the air. “All of you are  _ unbelievable!” _

Jonghyun rolls his eyes, but follows Jisung. As he moves, Dongho moves off the couch, walking to the door. 

“And where are  _ you _ going?” Seongwoo asks.

Dongho looks over his shoulder. “We’re gonna need reinforcements. And they’ll need shoes.” He shuts Seongwoo’s door, a bit too rough.

Wow. Okay. This is actually happening. 

Seongwoo’s going to go to the shelter, somehow sneak his way inside, try not to get murdered, and then tell Daniel. 

He’s going to tell Daniel he loves him. 

Holy shit.

Okay, okay, he has to remain calm. This is huge but Seongwoo needs to keep his breathing steady and focus on getting his shoes on and not worry or think about what could possibly go wrong with this plan, like if he can’t get into the shelter or Minhyun pushes him down the stairwell or Jihoon and Woojin actually suffocate him or if, y’know, Daniel doesn’t even want to see him because Seongwoo did  _ break him  _ as others have pointed out, so it wouldn’t surprise Seongwoo if Daniel ignores him or worse doesn’t love him anymore or never did or who the hell knows maybe he’s been adopted already and-

“Uh....” 

Seongwoo hopes he didn’t jump as much as he thinks he did. He whips his head to Jonghyun and a red-faced, but calm Jisung. When neither speak, Jonghyun nudges Jisung. His publicist scowls, but clears his throat to Seongwoo. “So….you’re really….not going to apologize?” Jisung asks, slow, calculated. 

He doesn’t sound judgemental, which keeps Seongwoo’s answer calm, “No. I’m not.”

Jisung sighs again, but nods. “And...you’re sure about Daniel?”

Seongwoo’s heart beats a bit louder at the mention of Daniel’s name, and that’s as much of a confirmation as he needs. “I am.”

This time, Jisung doesn’t answer right away. He bites his lips and taps his foot, and Seongwoo can see how much he wants to say something. But instead of fighting, yelling at Seongwoo or  smacking his head, Jisung takes a deep breath. “Alright,” he sighs. “If this is what you want.”

And it is. It really is.

 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just promise you all love me after :(

 

 

 

 

For some reason, Seongwoo didn’t think Dongho was serious about bringing reinforcements. Nor did he think they would be...well...

“Just so we’re clear, I’m still mad at you,” Seonho says as he walks past Seongwoo, making sure to bump shoulders to prove his point. 

He’s doubting how helpful Seonho and Guanlin will be.

Seongwoo frowns and rubs his shoulder. “But I didn’t do anything to  _ you.” _

Seonho sticks his tongue out at him. “No, but you made Daniel sad, and  _ that _ I’m mad about!” 

Okay, yes he did, but can people please stop remind him what a shitty friend he was? “Yeah, about that. Who told you?” Seongwoo asks. 

“Jihoon. He also said the next time he sees you, he’s breaking your teeth.”

Wonderful.

From his other side Guanlin leans in closer. “I’m glad you’re going to apologize.” He gives Seongwoo a smile. “I think it’ll mean a lot to Niel.”

Surprisingly, that makes Seongwoo feel a bit better. Guanlin’s known Daniel longer than than he has, and if Guanlin thinks his apology will mean a lot to Daniel, then there maybe some truth. Even still, Seongwoo still sighs, “I hope you’re right…” Even if it would mean a lot to Daniel, that doesn’t mean Seongwoo’s going to be able to deliver what he needs to hear.

He needs Daniel to know everything he’s feeling, everything he’s felt. His words need to be spoken carefully. It has to be perfect.

He needs Daniel to know Seongwoo loves him. 

“Subway’s here,” Dongho calls. 

Here he goes. 

  
  
  
  


_________   
  
  
  


  
  


He’s fucked.

They’re all standing in front of the shelter now, and Seongwoo’s mind has gone blank and oh  _ God _ what was he thinking?

“I-I don’t think I can do this,” he wheezes, and turns on his heels to run back to the subway station. Unfortunately, Jisung’s  _ fast, _ and catches him by the shirt collar before he can get far. 

“You’ve been head over heels for Daniel for months, punched a producer for him, and am making me miss my favorite drama so we could walk here,” he growls. “So, you’re not going anywhere.”

Dammit.

“I-I just…” He tugs his shirt out from Jisung’s grasp. “W-What do I  _ say?” _

“The truth,” answers Jonghyun. He puts a hand on Seongwoo’s shoulder. “Tell him what you feel.”

“And that you’re sorry,” Seonho pipes in, playing with the string on his red hoodie. 

Seongwoo gulps. “B-But what if that’s not enough? What if he  _ hates _ me?” 

What if this all is for nothing, and Daniel doesn’t forgive him?

_ What if Daniel doesn’t love him back? _

The hand on his shoulder gets tighter. “Then you still did the right thing,” Jonghyun says softly. 

So he’ll have a clear conscious, but a broken heart. Seongwoo supposes there are worse things in life. 

“So, uh-” Jisung coughs. “How do you plan on getting in?”

Ah. 

The real question. 

“The only way I know is through the front gate…” he says, looking up at said gate. “But…”

“Is there a back entrance?” Jonghyun asks. 

Seongwoo shakes his head. “There is, but it’s locked from the outside.”

Jisung frowns. “Fire escape?” 

“If Dongho hoists you up, we may be able to throw you over the fence!” Seonho brightly suggests. Guanlin nods next to him, and why do these Cats want to hurt him?

“What if we-”

“Hey, Minhyun, it’s Dongho.”

Everyone stops, wiping their heads to Dongho. 

“Me, Seonho, Guanlin and a few others were in the area,” Dongho continues, rolling his eyes. “Mind if we stop in?” 

Seongwoo screeches, diving to grab Dongho’s phone, but Dongho sticks a foot out and trips him.   _ “What are you doing?”  _ Seongwoo hisses, getting back up and going for the phone again.

His neighbor holds a hand out and blocks Seongwoo from getting near him. “Of course. You don’t mind of my friends wait inside?” After a few seconds, he smiles. “Great, thanks.” And with that, he hangs up the phone and the gate buzzes open. 

“Great thinking, Dongho!” Seonho shouts, skipping up to him and throwing his arms around Dongho’s shoulders. Dongho takes it in stride, scratching Seonho’s ears, and it’s still so strange to Seongwoo, seeing Dongho like this. 

After a few seconds, Dongho catches his eye. “Well?” he says, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going in?”

Oh.

Seongwoo quickly opens the gate, letting everyone enter before he does. While walking up to the front door, Jisung pushes him ahead, sandwiching him in the middle of the group. “Keep your head down in case the camera catches you,” Jisung says, motioning to the camera connected to the front door.

Though, it’s not necessary. Not when Seonho’s quick to run up to the camera and make faces in it. “Hi Minhyun!” he chirps. The door opens, and Jisung again pushes Seongwoo inside, while Seonho stands in front of the camera and tells it about how he aced a test at school. 

Once inside, the group heads up the stairs and to the door and-

Holy shit, he’s really doing this.

He’s really sneaking into the shelter to confess to Daniel.

Holy shit.

“Here we go,” Dongho mumbles, opening the door to the lobby. 

Seongwoo feels Jonghyun give his hand a squeeze. 

This is it.

Seonho springs ahead, calling “Hi Minhyun!” as he walks through the lobby to the front desk. Seongwoo can see Minhyun look up from where he’s seated, giving Seonho a smile. 

“Hey! What were you guys doing-”

His smile falls as soon as he sees Seongwoo. 

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

No one says anything. It seems like they’re all holding their breath, not wanting to be the first to move. Seongwoo knows he is, at least. But then, maybe he should be the first to say something. 

So he clears his throat. “I-I-”

“You have five seconds to get out of here before I call the police,” Minhyun interrupts. 

His tone is like acid, the most threatening Seongwoo’s ever heard him speak; so threatening that Seongwoo takes a step back. “I-I-” he tries again, but Minhyun stands up, knocking papers off the desk in the process.

_ “Get out!” _ he shouts.

“Hey, Minhyun…” Jonghyun tries, but Minhyun either ignores him or doesn’t hear. Instead, he walks around the desk, hand tightening into a fist and oh  _ God, _ Seongwoo dives behind Dongho.

“What’s all the noise-”

Jaehwan walks in through the stairwell door, looking a bit confused. His eyes light up when he sees Seonho and Guanlin, but fall when he catches sight of Seongwoo behind Dongho’s shoulder.  _ “You!” _ he shouts, face and ears getting red. He looks around, then grabs a nearby broom and holds it over his head.  _ “Get out!” _

Minhyun looks over to Jaehwan, then sighs. “Jaehwan, put that down, you’re going to hurt yourself.” He shakes his head, then turns his furious eyes back to Seongwoo. “Get out. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

Seongwoo tries not to wince. “I-I’m here to apologize, I swear. I can explain-”

“We don’t want to hear it,” Minhyun interrupts, taking out his cell phone from his pants pocket. “Get out, or I’m calling the police.”

Seongwoo really doesn’t want to deal with the police twice in one night, and nearly bolts for the door until Dongho steps forward. “Minhyun, give him a chance,” he says. 

“Oh, you’re on  _ his _ side now?” Minhyun replies.

All of a sudden, a flash of red runs past Seongwoo and tackles Minhyun to the ground. Jonghyun lets out a shriek of surprise and Dongho just groans. Seonho catches Minhyun’s legs in his own, then whips his head around. _ “Run, _ Seongwoo!” he shouts.

Oh.

_ Oh. _

Seongwoo bolts, jumping over the Minhyun-Seonho pile towards the stairwell. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Guanlin follow Seonho’s example, throwing himself onto Jaehwan.

“I wasn’t even  _ near _ him!” Jaehwan shrieks as he falls. “Dongho, do something!”

“Do what? I’m not getting in that mess,” he hears Dongho say. 

Seongwoo can’t hear what the rest of the conversation is, since he rips the stairwell door open and runs up the stairs, taking two at a time. Which, by the time he gets to the top, he’s realizing that may not have been smart. When he opens the door to the living room, he collapses to his knees, wheezing. 

He’s going to start going to the gym. 

“S-Seongwoo?!” he hears one of the Cats call.

He holds up a finger, asking for a few more seconds to catch his breath. Once it’s under control, he looks up, trying to see where everyone is. There’s a few sitting on the bean bag chairs in front of the television, and a group at the table near the kitchen area. He scans around until he spots Daehwi and Jinyoung sitting at the table. “I-I need to see Daniel,” he says. 

Most of the Cats look confused, but Daehwi immediately jumps out of his seat and runs to the opposite stairwell, hopefully to find Daniel upstairs. 

“What are you doing here?” one of the Kittens ask, getting up from the bean bag.

Jinyoung also gets up from the table. “I didn’t think you’d come back.”

Seongwoo gets up. “I need to apologize to Dan-”

_ Wham. _

It feels like a bulldozer knocks him back off his feet and forces the air out of his lungs. 

Which, is pretty close.

_ “You asshole!” _ Jihoon screams, and tries to get Seongwoo on his back. “I can’t  _ believe _ you showed your ugly face here!”

Seongwoo curls in a fetal position, trying to block Jihoon’s hands from his face. “J-Jihoon, let me explain!” he shouts, but it’s muffled by the floor and Jihoon’s rage. 

“Jihoon!” he hears Woojin shout, and feels another pair of hands grabbing at him.

Then, everything gets loud. He can hear Jinyoung and some others yell of Jihoon and Woojin. Someone’s able to pull Jihoon off of Seongwoo’s back, and that’s the time Jonghyun and Jisung swing open the stairwell door. “S-Seongwoo?!” Jonghyun squeaks, but Seongwoo can’t hear if he says anything else because Jihoon jumps on him again. 

“Jihoon,  _ stop!” _ Seongwoo yells, grabbing on of Jihoon’s arms before it can hit him. 

“I’ll save you, Seongwoo!” Seonho shouts from somewhere, followed by Woojin shouting “Get off of me!”

“W-what should I do?” Guanlin asks among the chaos, to which Dongho says,  _ “Nothing.” _

“I’m calling Boa,” Seongwoo think Minhyun says, and he really hopes Jaehwan doesn’t still have the broom in his hand.

In any other situation, this all would be laughable. 

“Can’t you all listen to me!” he shouts, but that doesn’t get anyone’s attention. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!” he tries again, but that only seems to make things  _ worse  _ and now everyone’s yelling and Jihoon’s still trying to land a punch on his face and somehow Woojin and Seonho are wrestling each other on the ground and Jinyoung’s just watching looking a bit scared and Jonghyun’s trying to talk to Minhyun and Jaehwan still has that broom in his hand and- 

_ “Everyone shut the fuck up!” _ Jisung screams above all the noise. His tone has everyone stopping - Jihoon’s fist pauses in the air, Guanlin stops screaming, Seonho and Woojin stop rolling around on the ground. The broom drops to the ground. After a few seconds of silence, Jisung motions across the room. Everyone’s head turns and-

Seongwoo can’t breathe. 

Daniel.

He’s standing behind Daehwi, across the room and leaning against the door frame to the third flight stairs. He’s in a black sweatshirt that looks unusually large on him, hood over his head and covering some of his face. But even then, it’s not hard to miss the dark circles under his eyes, or how his face seems a bit swollen, like he’s been crying for days. 

Seongwoo may throw up.

No one moves, and he feels everyone’s eyes on him, waiting for him to say something.  Which, Seongwoo would, if his body would catch up to his mind. But all that he can seem to process is Daniel standing in front of him, and he’s the reason that Daniel looks so tired, so  _ hurt.  _

“Everyone go to their rooms,” Minhyun eventually says, voice thin. 

Jihoon snorts. “I’m not-”

_“Now."_  

Immediately the younger Kittens run to the stairs, ducking their heads when they pass Daniel. Jihoon gets up off of Seongwoo, but sits with his legs and arms crossed, firmly on the ground. Woojin gives him a quick look, then does the same. Daehwi moves away from Daniel, and Jinyoung silently sits against the wall, between the two groups. That leaves Seonho and Guanlin, who slowly walk back to where Dongho’s standing, though Seonho does give Seongwoo a little push forward. 

The room gets silent again, and Seongwoo supposes now’s the time to say something. Except, still, his mouth is dry and his mind is empty. 

What does he even say to the person he broke?

Whatever it is, he needs to do it soon - any second now, Daniel could leave.

So Seongwoo carefully gets off the ground, then clears his throat. “H-hi,” he eventually says, but it mainly comes out as air. Wonderful. He gulps, then tries again. “I...I need to apologize.”

Okay, that was a good start.

Now what.

“I…”  _ Think, dumbass! What are you apologizing for?  _ “Those articles never meant to be published.” He pauses. “Er, more like, I didn’t know they would be. A-and if I did, I would have never let them.” 

The room is still silent, but at least Daniel doesn’t sprint off. So far, so good.

“And I can’t say how sorry I am for letting someone talk about you in that way. And about the fans-” 

“We had to call the police to break the crowd up,” Minhyun interrupts, sounding sour.

“I’m so  _ sorry  _ about that.” The photos from the article still make Seongwoo wince. “I didn’t think that anyone would try to find the shelter and take pictures.“I...told people that I was volunteering here. And…”  _ Just tell him the truth. Even if he hates you after. _ “And I guess I was hoping it would help me get popular...which it kind of did and-” 

“Seongwoo,” Jonghyun says softly.

“Fuck, sorry,” Seongwoo replies, an uncomfortable laugh escaping his lips. Well, this is going downhill. He takes another breath, before starting again. “So, I’m sorry. For not telling you the truth. And for embarrassing you. And hurting you. You don’t deserve it." 

Seongwoo gulps, eagerly looking at Daniel. The Cat’s face is blank, having not moved since he arrived. But, he still hasn’t run.

Seongwooo gulps again. Okay, apology is done. Now onto the hard part. “A-And I’ve missed you, so much. It’s been...strange not seeing you, or talking to you.” He lets out soft, sad laugh, then looks down at his feet. “It’s funny, because I thought that getting a drama role would make me happy but…”  He looks back up to Daniel. “It’s sucked. Because I haven’t been able to share it with you.” 

For a second, it looks like Daniel’s eyes soften, but Seongwoo can’t be sure. But maybe, maybe, Daniel’s listening to him. 

Okay.  _ You can do this, _ he thinks. 

He gulps again. “And…”

_ Tell him the truth. _

“I...I want to be…” 

_ Tell him how you feel. _

“Y-your owner. If you let me.” 

The room seems to get even more silent, and the stares feel more intense. But Daniel’s expression doesn’t change, and Seongwoo freezes, worried that he’s said the wrong thing. He had expected some kind of reaction from Daniel.

_ Oh God, _ what if Daniel’s already given up on him?

_ “Keep going,” _ Seonho whispers from behind him, nearly making Seongwoo jump.  

Keep going.

He has to keep going. 

Eunwoo’s words echo in his mind:  _ don’t give him up. _

Fight for him.

“I...don’t know if I’ll be a good owner,” Seongwoo quickly continues. “Um...I can’t really cook. But I can make pancakes. And ramen. A-and I can buy you jellies even though you shouldn’t be eating-”

“Focus, Ong,” Dongho says. 

“But I’ll try my best. A-and I’ll be there for you. I can be home every day so I can see you and...we can watch movies all day...and we can go to any restaurant we want. And we can go on vacations and I’ll take you to New York and Japan and wherever else you want to go.” Seongwoo’s words are coming out faster, but he can’t help it. His feelings are pouring out as he speaks. “I don’t care if I work at Fantagio anymore. I’d quit if it means I can spend time with you. I _swear…_.which works since I kind of punched this one producer in the-  

_“Seongwoo!”_ Jisung hisses.   

“Uh...nevermind, you don’t need to know that.” Seongwoo gives another uncomfortable laugh. But no one laughs with him. If anything, Seongwoo swears he hears Jihoon crack his knuckles. Daniel still has a blank look on his face, tail drooping between his legs.

Seongwoo gulps. “B-But I mean it. I’d quit. I’d find another job. I’d do anything so I can be there for you, because you deserve it. And I just, I want you to be happy. And-”

Breathing is becoming difficult because this is it. There’s only one thing left to say now 

“And-”

And now, standing in front of Daniel, Seongwoo’s realizing that “I love you,” isn’t right. 

“And..." 

Not when there’s something that only Daniel will understand, something that Seongwoo knows is stronger, so much stronger, than any other confession he can give 

“And…”  He takes a breath, so he can sound as sure as he feels. “...I want to be your home.” 

The room goes silent again. 

“What does  _ that _ mean?” he hears Seonho whisper, but he’s quickly shushed by Dongho. 

Not that Seongwoo’s paying much attention to anyone else is saying. His focus is on Daniel. There’s no missing the effect _home_ had on him, how he seemed to catch his breath, how his eyes widened and tail jolted. It’s almost as if there’s a look of _want_ on his face.  

“Niel?” Seongwoo says softly, taking a step toward Daniel. Daniel looks at him, meeting his eyes and they look  _ bright, _ like how Daniel looked at him before this whole mess, like when he was talking to Seongwoo about Spiderman or ramen or when he laughed at one of Seongwoo’s bad jokes. And it has Seongwoo smiling, because maybe Daniel will give him another chance, maybe they can work this out and then-

Daniel leaves.

He turns his back to Seongwoo and walks away, back up the stairs, and Seongwoo can only watch as the stairwell door slams behind him. 

Daniel left.

That’s it then .

Daniel’s made his choice.

He doesn’t know how long he stands there, in the middle of the living room, staring at the door. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours. He doesn’t know how long he stands with this ears ringing so loud they could bleed, but a hand on his shoulder reminds him he’s not alone.

“Seongwoo…” Jisung says softly, making Seongwoo turn around to look at him. 

“It’s fine,” Seongwoo replies, voice calmer than he thought it’d be. He gives Jisung a smile, then looks up to everyone else. “I don’t deserve his forgiveness.” 

Jisung’s eyes soften. “I’m so sorry, Seongwoo.” 

And Jisung’s voice is so soft, so sincere, so much like how used to speak when Seongwoo was young, that he breaks.

Seongwoo’s legs give out underneath him and he falls to his knees and he _cries._  

The tears flow freely, and he probably looks embarrassing, sobbing on the floor. But honestly, Seongwoo could care less how he looks right now, because nothing could compare to the pain he feels in his heart.  

“It’s okay, Seongwoo,” Jisung mumbles, bringing Seongwoo into his arms to hold him. 

“H-He really just left?” Guanlin asks, voice shaking a bit. “Why would he…?” But this time, Dongho doesn’t have an answer. 

There’s another hand that cards through his hair. “You did the right thing,” Jonghyun says softly.

“I think you guys should go...” That’s from Minhyun, who’s lost all of the bite from his voice. Jaehwan says something as well, but Seongwoo can’t catch what it is.  

Jisung pulls away, and helps Seongwoo properly sit on the floor. “Let’s go Seongwoo,” he says, handing Seongwoo a tissue. “You did everything you could.”

Seongwoo wipes his eyes. He probably should leave. There’s nothing else he can do here, and even though Minhyun and Jaehwan’s expressions have softened, and Jihoon and Woojin are looking down and a bit saddened, he knows he’s not wanted either. 

Jisung stands up first so he can hold a hand out and help Seongwoo up. Seognwoo takes it and begins to pull himself up, then Jisung’s grip loosens and he falls back on his ass.  _ “Ow!” _ he hisses, when he lands. He frowns up at Jisung, who just backs away with a frightened expression on his face.

Seongwoo turns to see what has him so spooked and-

“H-hi,” Daniel says softly. 

Seongwoo tries not to fall over.

Daniel looks down at his feet. “I’m...upset. That you didn’t tell me about why you started working here. I felt...used. And that didn’t feel good.” He pauses, then walks to sit in front of Seongwoo on the floor. His hood is off, and his ears are against his head, like he’s nervous. “And the articles, that kind of made things worse. But…” Daniel looks up at Seongwoo. “I’ve missed you, too.” He reaches into his sweatshirt pocket and pulls out two tickets.

Two tickets to  _ Infinity Wars. _

Seongwoo blinks.

“I got them a few weeks ago…” Daniel says softly. He bites his lip again. “You promised we’d go together.” 

Seongwoo blinks again.

“I think...it’d be nice if we could start over.” Daniel softly smiles. “Can we do that?”

Seongwoo’s trying to process what’s happening. Daniel’s here again. In front of him. With two tickets to  _ Infinity Wars.  _ But why would he be here again? Does he...actually want….Seongwoo….but….why….

Daniel must see him trying to think this all through, because he reaches out and gently takes Seongwoo’s hand, as if he’s worried moving to fast will scare Seongwoo away. And while never breaking eye contact, Daniel brings Seongwoo’s shaking hand up to his ears, right at his favorite spot.

Seongwoo can’t breathe. 

Daniel holds Seongwoo’s hand there, so warm against his, and nuzzles into the touch.  “You’ve always been my home,” he says softly. His cheeks turn Seongwoo’s favorite shade of pink when he shyly looks to Seongwoo.

It takes a few seconds before Seongwoo remembers how to talk. “I-I think you’re mine, too.”

And it’s only when Daniel’s eyes fill with tears that Seongwoo realizes: this is real.

He’s Daniel’s home.

“Oh my  _ god,” _ Jisung whines, and Seongwoo swears he sounds a bit choked up.  _ “Just kiss you idiots!”  _

And Seongwoo does.

He throws himself into Daniel’s lap, arms looping around Daniel’s shoulders and bringing him as close as they can get. The weight has Daniel tipping over, but he takes it in stride, holding Seongwoo back as they fall, and it’s a mess of tears and laughter and only when Seongwoo pulls back and sees Daniel’s eyes glittering with tears does he lean in for a kiss. 

_ “There are children here!” _ Jaehwan screeches, hurrying to pull Jihoon and Woojin away. 

“You owe me a hundred thousand won,” Dongho also says, and it sounds like Minhyun grumbles in response.

Seongwoo can hear the others move around them, some groaning, others cheering, but he pays them no mind. All he cares about is how Daniel’s lips still feel warm, how he sighs into every single kiss, how Seongwoo can feel his heart through his chest. 

And when Daniel sits up, leaving Seongwoo in his lap; when Seongwoo puts their foreheads together and sees the happiness in Daniel’s eyes, he know.  _ Now, _ Seongwoo thinks, now’s the right time to lean into Daniel’s ear, leave a soft kiss on the shell of his ear, to whisper  _ “I love you.” _

Daniel pulls away, more tears streaming down his face.  _ “I love you, too,”  _ he whispers back.

It feels like coming home.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	29. Chapter 29

 

 

 

 

“Hey,” Jonghyun says, nudging Seongwoo’s shoulder. _ “Relax.” _

“Can’t help it,” Seongwoo replies, and keeps bouncing his leg. 

Jonghyun puts a hand on one of Seongwoo’s knees. “There’s a chance you won’t get fired.”

That has Seongwoo snorting. “I’ve accepted that I’m going to be fired.” He looks over to the CEO’s door. “I’m worried about _ her.” _

“Jiyoung’s not all that bad!” Jonghyun shakes his head. “Strict, but she cares.”

“Easy for you to say. She  _ adores _ you.” Seongwoo huffs, then sinks lower in his seat. What he really wants to do is text Daniel to calm his nerves, but Jonghyun took his phone so there’d be “no distractions.” 

Which is completely unfair. Seongwoo’s not distracted. Sure, he may have fallen asleep in his breakfast this morning because he and Daniel talked over the phone about  _ Spongebob _ until 4 in the morning, but that’s not distracting. That’s Seongwoo being a good-

_ Boyfriend (!). _

The word still makes Seongwoo giggle, even though it’s been three whole days that he went to the shelter, and he and Daniel decided to be  _ boyfriends (!).  _

Daniel’s his boyfriend (!!!). 

“Seongwoo?”

Seongwoo jumps when the secretary peaks her head out of Jiyoung’s office. She gives him a smile. “She’s almost ready for you.”

When she closes the door, Seongwoo stands up, trying to shake out his nerves. This may be the last time he steps foot in the building again. Which if that’s the case… “Hey, uh-” He turns to Jonghyun. “If, um, things don’t go well, I just...thanks for being my manager.”

Jonghyun blinks, a bit surprised, but then gives Seongwoo a smiles. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

If Seongwoo does get fired, hopefully Jonghyun manages someone who’s successful and can pay him what he deserves. 

The office door opens again, and the secretary holds it for Seongwoo. Jonghyun whispers “Good luck!” as Seongwoo enters. Once inside, Seongwoo walks to Jiyoung’s desk, immediately bowing in front of her before she can say anything.

“Hello, Seongwoo,” she says, motioning for Seongwoo to sit in front of her. Surprisingly, her tone sounds a bit playful, even if critical. She leans back in her chair. “I’m you know why you’re here?”

“Yes,” Seongwoo responds as he takes a seat. “And I can’t apologize enough. I’m sorry I put the company in this position.” He bows again from his chair. 

“I’ve been getting a lot of calls about you, young man. You seem to be the talk of the town.”

That’s not good.

Seongwoo slowly brings his head up. “I’m fired from the drama, aren’t I?”

The smile Jiyoung gives is a bit frightening, and Seongwoo briefly wonders if he should run.

“Actually, you’re not,” she answers.

Seongwoo nearly falls out of his chair.

The smile stays on her face. “Just this morning, I got a call from the KBS CEO, profusely apologizing that one of the main producers on the show was seen entering the Seoul Metropolitan Police station.” She shrugs, nonchalant. “It seems that he’s being brought up on abandonment charges. Someone in a high position at government agency for Cats.”

_ Boa.  _

“R-really?” Seongwoo chokes. 

Jiyoung nods. “And while we  _ did _ talk about the altercation at the launch party, you had a...passionate third party tell us and KBS that Mr. Park started the altercation.”

_ Eunwoo. _

“So, KBS is willing to keep you on board, as long as both sides keep quiet about the investigation with Mr. Park.” Jiyoung leans forward, putting her elbows on her desk. “The board wasn’t sure at first, but several of our employees made strong cases to let you stay.” She gives Seongwoo a smile. “You have a lot of friends here, Seongwoo.”

_ Dongho. Sungwoon. Minki.  _

“S-so-” Seongwoo gulps, a bit in disbelief. “I’m staying on the show?”

She nods. “You’re staying on the show.

_ Holy shit. _

He’s staying on the show. 

He still gets to be in this drama.

“However...”

Jiyoung leans back in her chair, her expression now dark. “We here at Fantagio have a strict Non-Violence Policy. And assaulting anyone is against our rules. Even if for good intentions.” She shakes her head. “That’s something the board and I agree cannot be overseen.”

Seongwoo is silent. 

“So,” Jiyoung continues when Seongwoo doesn’t respond. “We agreed that for all parties involved, having you complete filming for the drama is the best course of action. After which, your contract with Fantagio will be terminated.” 

_ Terminated.  _

“Oh…” is all Seongwoo says, all he can think. 

He’s terminated.

“I’m sorry that we have to let you go, but it’s our rules.”

“No,” Seongwoo replies, shaking his head. “It’s...it’s understandable.” He’s even surprised at how calm he sounds. “I knew there would be consequences.” He did go into this meeting thinking he’d be fired, but he still feels the air knocked out of his lungs.

Terminated.

He takes a deep breath, then stands from his seat. “Thank you for keeping me on the show,” he says. He wants to leave before he does something he’ll regret - like cry in front of the CEO. But before he can back away, Jiyoung picks up what looks like a business card and hands it over. Seongwoo frowns, then looks at Jiyoung, confused. 

“A good friend of mine. He’s one of the producers over at Key East.” Jiyoung smiles again. “He’s expecting your call to discuss a future contract.”

Key East.

The largest acting agency in the country.

Seongwoo nearly drops the card. “B-But-”

“I have two Cats at home,” Jiyoung says. Her gaze drops to a picture frame on her desk.  “My kids, really.” She looks back at Seongwoo. “There aren’t a lot of people who stand up for Cats in this industry. We need more like you around.”

“I-I-”

Jiyoung waves her hand, interrupting Seongwoo. “Now you’re excused.” She turns her chair around, facing her window. “Go!” she says with another wave.

Seongwoo should be embarrassed when he doesn’t  _ Go. _ He’s still starting at the card that’s now shaking with his hand. Jiyoung, the CEO of Fantagio, thinks he’s a good person. She wants to help him. She wants to get him another job at a larger company. 

Seongwoo’s the luckiest bastard to ever live.

“T-thank you,” Seongwoo stutters, then bows, even though Jiyoung can’t see. He’s about to leave, when a lot crosses his mind.

If he leaves Fantagio…

He quickly turns before making it to the door. “Um,” he starts, not exactly sure how to phrase this. “If I…er, when I...C-can my manager come with me?”

Jiyoung turns around, a frown on her face. “Kim Jonghyun?”

Seongwoo nods. 

“He  _ is _ one of my best…” Jiyoung hums, thinking. “But I’ll see what I can do.”

Seongwoo beams.

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Life returns to normal. 

Actually, better than that. Everything seems to fall into place.

Jonghyun and Jisung are in discussions to move from Fantagio with Seongwoo when his contract ends. Both were in shock when Seongwoo showed them the Key East business card, and though Seongwoo quickly told them that he wasn’t expecting anything, Jonghyun was the first to say he’ll follow Seongwoo anywhere. Though Jiyoung is saddened to see them go, she understands their loyalty.

Before the drama starts filming at the end of May, Seongwoo spends as much time with Daniel as possible. Visits to the shelter come a daily occurance. Some days it’ll be after photoshoots or script readings, other days Seongwoo will spend the entire day with the Cats. 

Jihoon and Woojin have officially forgiven him (though Jihoon reminds Seongwoo that he’ll still break his teeth if Seongwoo were to hurt Daniel again). They’ve been busy preparing for college, and Daniel and Seongwoo place bets on whether or not Woojin admits his feelings to Jihoon before or after they leave. Though, if Daniel’s information is right, Jihoon may be confessing to Woojin first. 

Daehwi and Jinyoung are actually talking with a family. A young couple who can’t have children came into the shelter a few days after Seongwoo returned, and immediately took a liking to Daehwi. And Daehwi being Daehwi, roped Jinyoung in as well. Though nothing in final yet, Minhyun and Jaehwan are optimistic. 

And speaking of the two lovebirds, Minhyun and Jaehwan are happily speaking to Seongwoo again. Minhyun’s even planning when he and Jaehwan can meet Seongwoo and Daniel once Daniel moves out, for dinner or drinks. Seongwoo’s not sure if he wants to see Jaehwan after a few drinks, but he’s not going to say no. 

And of course, there’s Daniel. 

They go to restaurants around Seoul, trying out new foods from around the world, then spend their nights walking around and enjoying being with each other. Seongwoo even gets brave enough to hold Daniel’s hand one night as they walk around Gangnam. Daniel gets braver and kisses Seongwoo as they wait for the bus. 

On other days, Daniel and Seongwoo lounge around the shelter, watching the Cats play video games. Or, they’ll just lying in Daniel’s bed. Seongwoo will curl up against Daniel and listen as Daniel excitedly talks about Spiderman, or Harry Potter, or the new manga he’s reading. And every so often, Seongwoo will nose his way to kiss Daniel’s cheek, just to see him stutter over his words, just to see how pink his cheeks get. 

He also takes Daniel to finally go see  _ Infinity War.  _ They walk in with smiles and excitement, but Seongwoo leaves feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the planet, while Daniel’s in a daze. All those months ago, when Seongwoo teased Daniel about Spiderman dying, he didn’t actually think it would  _ happen.  _ He buys Daniel the biggest ice cream cone he can find to make it better. Daniel tells him ice cream won’t make it totally better, but a kiss will.

Seongwoo is quick to kiss his cheeky smile. 

  
  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  
  


The adoption process is terrifying. 

There’s court dates. Home studys. Questionnaires. Interviews. Background checks.

All Seongwoo wants is for someone to just say “Hey, you’re a good egg, go and whisk your boyfriend away on a white horse and live happily ever after.” 

Boa had laughed when he told her that. 

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” she chuckles. “But since Daniel is an older Cat, it’ll be a more streamlined process. And I’ll help you through everything.”

She gives him several contacts at a Seoul court that specializes in Cat adoptions. “You’ll need to speak with them to get the process started. Most of the first steps are background checks and interviews.”’

Seongwoo looks down at the business cards. “Has anyone ever been declined?”

“Of course. We need to make sure that our Cats are being adopted into good homes.”

He must have a panicked look on his face, because Boa reaches out to pat his hand. “You’ll be  _ fine, _ Seongwoo,” she assures with a smile. “Anyone can see that you and Daniel are a perfect match.”

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Yoomi isn’t as intimidating as Seongwoo thought. In fact, she smiles so wide that he momentarily thinks he walked up to the wrong person in the cafe. “It’s nice to meet you, Seongwoo,” she says in a light tone as they shake hands.

“N-nice to meet you, too,” Seongwoo replies. Hopefully she can’t see how nervous he is. 

The smile stays on her face as she goes over the documents Seongwoo brought, making sure everything she needs is there. “The background check for potential families takes about seven to ten business days,” Yoomi explains. “Once you pass that, we can move on to the home study.”

Seongwoo gulps. “Is...there anything I need to prepare for that?” 

Yoomi shakes her head. “Myself and one of the representatives from the adoption court just make sure your home is prepared for a Cat.” “Just making sure it’s a safe and loving environment.”

Seongwoo nods along as she speaks. “Will...will it hurt my case if I live alone?”

“Not at all.” Yoomi shakes her head again. “We have single family households adopt all the time.”

“What about my age? Or job?”

“The court representative may ask questions about either, but Daniel being above eighteen makes the process easier.”

Okay. This doesn’t sound so bad. If he doesn’t have to worry about anyone looking down on him for being a model or only being in his mid-twenties, then there isn’t much to worry about at all. It’s just waiting for documents to be processed.

At the end of the meeting, Yoomi sets his home study date. “I’m looking forward to working with you,” she says as she packs up her things. She extends a hand out to Seongwoo. “I’ve known Daniel for a few years. I’m glad he’s finally getting a home.”

Seongwoo shakes it. “I am, too.”

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


The week before Seongwoo’s filming starts, he brings Daniel to his apartment to plan when the latter moves in. 

“What if we get you your own bookshelf?” Seongwoo asks, looking at one of his walls in the living room. “I think we could fit another.”

Daniel leans over the couch. “I think all my manga should fit on yours.” 

Seongwoo moves to where his TV is.  “If we do that, then we only need an extra dresser for your clothes, and a small shelf for games and DVDs.” That’s doable. Maybe Jisung or Jonghyun, or even Dongho has extra furniture they can have. Or, once Seongwoo gets paid, he can buy new furniture.

Wow. This is actually happening.

“So, uh-” He turns around to face Daniel on the couch. “Anything else you want to do? We can go get some dinner now if you want.”

Daniel hums, then slowly stands. “Actually…” he says, moving to Seongwoo to press against him. “There  _ is _ something I’ve wanted to do,” he continues, leaning in and murmuring into Seongwoo’s ear. A shiver runs down Seongwoo’s spine and  _ oh, _ Seongwoo thinks he likes where this is going. 

Unfortunately, Daniel’s idea was very different from Seongwoo’s.

“D-do we really have to-”

One look at Daniel tells Seongwoo that he better press the call button or he’s sleeping on the floor tonight.

After a few seconds, his sister answers. “Hey, Seongwoo!” Jiwoo exclaims, a bright smile on her face. “How are you?”

“Well, next week we start filming.”

Jiwoo smiles through the screen. “Seongwoo, that’s  _ great! _ Oh my God, I’m so proud of you!” 

“Yeah, it’s pretty surreal,” he smiles back. His eyes then flicker to Daniel, who’s sitting across from him.  “But, actually that’s not why I called.” He moves out of his chair to sit next to Daniel. “I, uh, want you to meet someone.” 

His arm naturally finds his way around Daniel’s shoulders, and he brings him close to share the screen. “Jiwoo, this is Daniel,” he says, making sure Daniel’s face is in view. “And Daniel, this is my sister, Jiwoo.”

“Hi!” Daniel tells Jiwoo, waving. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“Oh my _ God!”  _ Jiwoo shrieks, and Seongwoo knows he’ll spend the rest of the night telling Jiwoo all about Daniel. 

And he’ll love every second of it. 

  
  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  
  


Filming the drama is everything Seongwoo hoped it’d be. 

It’s busy. It’s hectic. It’s _ exciting. _

He can’t help but buzz around the set on the first day, much to the annoyance of Sungwoon. “Stay still!” he hisses, chasing Seongwoo around. “You’re going to dirty your pants before you even step on set!”

“I can’t help it!” Seongwoo replies, letting Sungwoon sit him down in a chair. How can he sit still when he’s  _ on the set of his first drama?  _ Sungwoon’s lucky he’s not screaming at the top of his lungs.

From a few feet over, Minki snorts. “How’s your boyfriend?” he asks, eyes down to his phone.

That makes Seongwoo smiles. Boyfriend. Hehe. 

He sees Minki rolls his eyes, no doubt at the stupid grin on Seongwoo’s face. “So did you finally buy him a dildo now that you’re official?”

Off goes the grin, and Seongwoo’s choking on air. “I-I….we are  _ not-” _

“Then what’s the point of having a  _ boyfriend _ if you’re not getting any?” Minki asks, now looking over at Seongwoo. He almost looks offended. 

Seongwoo’s still choking on air at the thought of buying Daniel a dildo, but thankfully, one of the directors calls Seongwoo over. He jumps out of his seat, followed by Minki’s laughter. “I’m telling you, you’ll thank me one day!” he calls after Seongwoo.

Though Seongwoo’s cheeks still burn, maybe there will be a  _ one day  _ for him and Daniel. One day. 

But for now, Seongwoo has to keep his focus, because he’s not going to risk forgetting his lines over the thought of Daniel with a dildo.

Fuck.

“Ready?” Eunwoo asks when Seongwoo gets in place next to him.

Seongwoo coughs, hoping his face still isn’t red. “R-ready.”

And he is. He nails all of his lines, gets compliments from the director. They fly through the first scenes, and soon the director is yelling “Cut!” and Seongwoo’s being escorted off the set. 

“You did great!” Jonghyun praises, giving Seongwoo a hug. “How’d it feel?”

“Great,” Seongwoo replies, giving his manager a smile.

He wishes he could tell Daniel all about it.

But he can’t.

This is the final part of the adoption process. Yoomi and some others from the Seoul courts are interviewing Seongwoo and Daniel separately, to make sure that this is exactly what they want. A “No Contact” period has been set in place until after the interviews, and it’s  _ killing  _ Seongwoo. He can’t even send Daniel a text. 

But this is it. The last hurdle Seongwoo has to climb over. If he makes it, Daniel won’t just be his boyfriend. Daniel will be  _ his. _ His family. His home.

And it’s more than Seongwoo’s ever wanted.

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Dongho comes over to help Seongwoo prepare the night before the interview. Which goes as well as Seongwoo thought it would:

 

 

Dongho: They’re going to ask why you want to adopt Daniel. 

Seongwoo: Because I love him?

Dongho: Is that a question?

Seongwoo:  _ N-no! _

Dongho: You sounded unsure.

Seongwoo:  I’m not really...comfortable telling my feelings to strangers!

Dongho: What are your hours for work?

Seongwoo:  Uh...depends on the day.

Dongho: Do you think that’s good for a Cat?

Seongwoo: I don’t  _ know? _

Dongho: Why is there only one bed here?

Seongwoo:  B-because we cuddle?

Dongho: That could be seen as strange. Most Cats don’t become boyfriends. 

Seongwoo: Oh, for fucks sake-

 

 

Seongwoo goes out and buys a floor mattress, some pillows, and a pink comforter. 

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


His interview goes surprisingly well.

Yoomi comes in, all smiles as usual, with an equally as chipper lawyer named Seokhoon.  They walk around his apartment, looking through the rooms and making small talk. Once they’re done, Seongwoo gives them coffee as they all sit down at the kitchen table. Yoomi types away on her laptop while Seokhoon sit across from Seongwoo, looking at some documents. He asks Seongwoo some pretty basic questions, about his history with the shelter, about likes and dislikes, and about how his job.

“So you’re an actor?” Seokhoon asks, moving his glasses higher up his face. “What made you want to adopt a Cat?”

It’s not a patronizing question, more curious than anything. Seongwoo shakes his hands a bit before answering. “Acting...can get lonely. Working at the shelter made me feel...less lonely. And Daniel was a main part of that.”

Seokhoon nods. “Will acting get in the way of your relationship?”

“No,” Seongwoo answers right away. “I’m willing to cut back hours to be home at reasonable times. Daniel comes first.” That is he confident in, and he hopes Yoomi and Seokhoon can hear it.

Seokhoon nods again, looking down at his papers to write something. “And why Daniel?” he asks when he’s finished, looking back up at Seongwoo. 

_ Why Daniel. _

There’s so much that Seongwoo could say. It’s Daniel’s smile. His eyes. His laughter. It’s the way Daniel supported Seongwoo through the audition process. It’s the way his ears give away what he’s feeling. It’s the way Seongwoo can talk to him about anything. There’s so much that Seongwoo could say, yet all he can do in the end is give a breathy laugh. “It’s...hard to explain.” He looks at Seokhoon. “He just...makes me feel like I’m home. No matter where I am.”

From behind her screen, Yoomi laughs. 

Seongwoo pales. “W-was that wrong?” he quickly asks, hands beginning to shake. “I-I mean he-”

“No, no” Yoomi replies, still laughing a bit. “He just said the same thing about you.”

  
  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


A week later, Seongwoo gets the official letter in the mail: The adoption has been approved, and ready for the courts to make it legally binding. 

Daniel is his. 

He does tear up a bit (sob) in the safety of his own apartment, and Jisung does film the whole ordeal with his phone. “One day, you’ll back on this and laugh,” he says. Seongwoo flips him off, but is too busy wiping his tears to make a witty comeback.

Later that afternoon, Seongwoo buys a bouquet of flowers at a local flower shop and tucks the letter in them, along with a spare apartment key he had made. Because his home is Daniel home’s now, and it’s the last piece of their puzzle.

And of course, Seongwoo makes an absolute fool of himself, kneeling on the ground and holding to bouquet out to Daniel when he gets to the shelter. “Kang Daniel, will you do me the honor of being my Cat?” he asks, all dramatic. It has Jihoon and Woojin gagging, but Daniel chokes, sobbing when he sees the letter among the flowers. He doesn’t even open it, just jumps on Seongwoo. 

_ “God, _ I can’t wait for it to go back to PG around here,” Jaehwan laments. 

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Daniel’s official last day at the shelter is the happiest celebration Seongwoo’s been to. 

Seongwoo, Daniel, and Boa make it back from the Court, legal adoption papers in hand, and the party begins. Jaehwan makes his cheesecake that Seongwoo loves, and Seongwoo definitely eats more than he should have. Jonghyun and Jisung arrive with some food from Daniel’s favorite restaurant. That Cats saved up their allowances to buy Daniel  _ Infinity War _ on DVD. Dongho, Seonho, and Guanlin even make an appearance. 

There’s games and food, and the Cats making Seongwoo sweat one more time as they tackle him to the ground and take turns wrestling. He thinks he may have gotten a black eye from Jinyoung’s elbow in his eye, but it’s a small price to pay if everyone laughs at his misery.

Daniel spends the afternoon saying goodbye to everyone, promising to visit as much as possible. Behind the smile, Seongwoo can see the sadness, how strange Daniel must be feeling that he’s leaving after all these years. So everytime their paths cross amongst the noise, Seongwoo makes sure to pull him close, whispering “I love you,” into his ear. It has Daniel smiling in seconds, and sometimes Seongwoo gets a kiss out of it.

The celebration ends with Dongho, Seonho, Guanlin, Jonghyun, and Jisung helping Seongwoo moves Daniel’s things into the apartment. Daniel spends most of the time buzzing about, watching with childlike wonder as Seongwoo’s apartment slowly becomes _ theirs. _ Daniel’s manga replaces old magazines on the bookshelf. His clothes fit perfectly in the dresser Seongwoo got from Jisung. The shampoo that drives Seongwoo crazy is stocked under the bathroom sink. And Daniel’s spiderman plush, the one from so long ago, sits on top of  _ their _ bed.

And when it’s all said and done, and Seonho and Guanlin give Daniel one more hug goodnight, Seongwoo and Daniel collapse on the couch, exhausted. “I could sleep forever…” Daniel mumbles, leaning his head against Seongwoo’s shoulder. His ears tickle Seongwoo’s cheek.

“Hey,” he says, nuzzling Daniel’s hair. When Daniel looks up, eyes bright, Seongwoo leans down to kiss his lips. “Welcome home,” Seongwoo whispers, and Daniel kisses him harder. 

  
  
  


__________________

  
  
  
  


Seongwoo wakes up one night to sobbing. 

He sits up, confused until he looks over at Daniel, shaking and whimpering with tears streaming down his face.

Seongwoo  _ jolts,  _ immediately grabbing Daniel’s shoulders to shake him awake. “Daniel, Daniel it’s just a dream!” he nearly shouts, loud enough that Daniel’s eyes burst open and he gasps for air. He nearly hits Seongwoo when he sits up in a panic.

“I-I-” he chokes, but can’t get any other sounds out before he bursts into tears.

Seongwoo doesn’t hesitate to pull Daniel into his arms. “Niel, Niel, it’s okay, you’re okay, it was just a dream,” Seongwoo says, rocking Daniel back and forth, scratching his ears. They stay like that for a while, until Daniel’s tears dry and Seongwoo can hear steady breathing. 

Daniel pulls away. “Sorry,” he mumbles, looking embarrassed.

“Hey,” Seongwoo says, brushing some of Daniel’s hair off his face. “Are you alright?”

His question has Daniel gulping. “I just...I dreamed this wasn’t r-real, and you were gonna leave…” 

His voice starts shaking again, so Seongwoo pulls him back into a hug. “Niel,” he whispers. _“I love you._ And I promise you, I’m not going anywhere.” He pulls back to give Daniel a kiss. “I’ll always be your home.”

Daniel softly smiles. “Always?” 

“Always.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I named this story "Always" because I knew I wanted to finish the story exactly like this. Planned since the beginning >:)
> 
> It's strange to think that it's over. I started this back last November because it was an idea I couldn't shake. And I never thought it'd get this long, nor did I ever think it would get the response it did. Thank you all so, so much for reading, for commenting, for the kudos. I've loved every minute of this journey with you all, and with Wanna One. 
> 
> "Always" has ended, but definitely not the universe! There's a lot more I want to explore with these characters, so be on the lookout! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Now's the time to go re-read "Never," or read it for the first time if you haven't! 
> 
> And you and always find me at @callmedaedy on Twitter! 
> 
> -Meg


	30. Sequels

 

 

 

[Super Hot ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16522868)(Set a month after _Always_ )

 

[Never ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11432403)(Set 6 months after _Always_ )


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